Arelia
by Shinzochi
Summary: The Adventures of Arelia the daughter of Aenoch and Raven This story is rated M for some particular violence but for the most part is rated T, This story belongs to Eric Holingsworth and i am posting it with his expressed permission.
1. Chapter 1

This story belongs to Eric Holingsworth and i am posting it with his expressed permission.

1 Arella

By Eric H

"_You don't choose the life, the life chooses you…"_

Bruce Wayne

June 15th, 2041

Phase 1: Reconnoiter- The original Batman has retired (obviously) and passed the cowl to a young protégé. Now since the current Batman is familiar with the youth gangs, he must be young enough to attend the local High School. So, first order of business is to identify him.

0625 hours, Hamilton Hill High School

Everywhere Arella turned, oddly dressed adolescents aimlessly milled about talking trivialities while digital bulletin boards posted on the gray modular walls pummeled her with flashy announcements regarding exams, upcoming school events and personal health issues. Honestly though? The girl was enjoying the chaos of colors and sounds. After a childhood spent in the rustic bosom of Kansas, Gotham was a realization of dreams.

"To be honest Arella I was a bit dubious on allowing you to transfer this late in the school year. But looking at your remarkable aptitude scores…"

"I do pride myself on my academics."

"Putting it mildly. 'Principal Nakamura chuckled while double checking a print out of her records' Mathematics, English and Science: all exceptional."

"Thank you sir."

"It says here you are fluent in three languages?"

"Yes sir: Latin, Atlantean and Tamaranian."

"Very exotic"

"Ma encouraged me to broaden my horizons."

"Well I wish all our students had such attentive mothers like yours. 'He sighed sadly' It would certainly make my job easier."

She chuckled to herself. HER mother? Seriously doubtful unless they wanted a school full of depressed over-achieving empaths. Discipline problems would be non existent but the Glee Club? A spooky thought.

They arrived at the still empty classroom.

"Well here ya are. 'He said while handing her a slip of paper with a printed itinerary of her class schedule' Now if you have any questions or problems, my door is always open."

"Thank you sir." She said taking the slip

As he walked away, Arella reached out with her senses and took a quick survey of his mind. Of course it was unlikely he would be her target but Ma did advise her to be thorough. Hmm…shock that someone actually called him sir. Otherwise, he was not her quarry.

Instead of a blackboard, the front classroom wall was dominated by a blank view screen. Apparently individual desks were extinct too as the room was organized by rows of work stations. All the stations had their own keyboards and monitors built into the desk tops. This was going to take some getting used to.

She climbed the stairway dividing the rows. The station monitors displayed the name of their assigned occupants. Aha! Hers was the second row from the back. This will give her an excellent vantage point to scan the entering students.

Arella smoothed the back of her pleated skirt against her thighs and settled in the hard gray plastic seat. According to the clock on her monitor there were a couple of minutes until first bell. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind. Now maybe all those years of pointless meditation will actually come in handy. It would take all of her mental discipline to prevent from being overwhelmed.

"Azarath, Metreon, Zinthos…" She silently chanted to herself

Amazing how the girl found those words so comforting. Maybe it was why her mother repeated them all the time. The screeching school bell shook the girl out of her trance. Arella took a deep breath and steeled herself.

"Find your center" She whispered while pushing the round-framed glasses back up her nose.

Groggy students began filing in. And right on cue, the boys focused squarely on her. Arella silently cursed herself for not dressing more conservatively- this was going to be tricky. In spite of their percolating hormones she opened her mind.

"_Hmm, nice titties"_ One blond boy thought

"_Sweet rack"_ A dark-skinned one in dreadlocks considered

One chubby, pimply-faced boy saw her and smiled.

"_Nice shirt" _

Nice shirt? That's odd.

A group of noisily chattering girls sashayed in. A blond, short-haired girl dressed in a butt-hugging black mini-skirt focused on her. Instead of thoughts, Arella detected a cat-like territorial growling. Obviously this was "The Group" Ma had referred to and the blond was the "Alpha". An attractive long raven-haired member of the girl squad scanned the room.

"_Terry better not be late again otherwise Missus Johnson will blow a gasket."_

A muscular red-headed boy clad in a letter-man jacket sauntered in and looked out over the classroom.

"_Okay everyone: get a load of me."_

A jock obviously: self-centered and pompous. While walking by Arella, he gave her an once-over with his leering eyes and winked. This may all be an act though. He will be filed in the "maybe" pile.

As they awaited the last bell, the student's eyes and minds focused squarely on her. She cringed as the cacophony of voices screamed in her head.

"_Nice tits"_

"_Where did she dig up that outfit? It's TOTALLY retro."_

"_Get a load of those glasses."_

"_She's going to ruin the grade curve, I know it!"_

"_Nice shirt"_

Arella closed her mind and the chaos faded away. Geez these people are scatter-brained, so unlike her mother whose mind she could set her watch by.

All the stations were now filled save for the one right in front of her. The bell rang again, ending the transition period. Okay, maybe her target was not here but she had five more periods to peruse.

An older woman with her prematurely gray hair pulled back in a tight bun appeared. She slapped a button next to the doorway and the door slid shut with an ominous clang.

"Before we…"

_THUD!_

They all turned to see a boy's stressed face smashed against the door's small rectangular glass portal. The teacher sighed sadly and pressed the button again, opening the door. A haggard dark haired male in a brown jacket and jeans stumbled into the room. Instead of laughing, the class' reaction was actually rather blasé. This must happen a lot.

"So Mister McGinnis, how many times does this make?"

"Sorry."

"Uh-huh"

While the newcomer collapsed into his seat, Arella game him a quick scan.

"_Bruce, you creep."_

Arella perked. Bruce? Mom mentioned a Bruce in her briefing. She read him a bit longer.

"_No wonder Robin quit"_

Bingo! Geez that was easy. So this was the new Batman eh? A bit of a departure from the dashing Dark Knight of her mother's day. Still, she supposed the caped crusader had to start somewhere.

"As I was saying: before we begin, we have a new student. Where are you from Arella?"

All the eyes, with the exception of the panting newcomer's, turned to her.

"Smallville Kansas Ma'am"

The classroom tittered.

"Where?" A voice from behind sarcastically guffawed

It was coming from the jock. She turned to the joker and looked straight into his eyes, making his smile fade. One of the few things Arella inherited from her mother was a thin-skin when it comes to teasing. Oh if they weren't in class! But guerilla revenge was so much more satisfying. They will settle accounts later.

"Small-ville Kan-sas" She carefully pronunciated

When their eyes met, a name emerged from the ether. This Clorbag was named Nelson. She moved him from her "maybe" pile to the "make an example of" one. The girl could feel Terry's irritation at Nelson's voice. Apparently she was not the only one who had a dislike of him.

"And what do you think of Gotham so far?" Their teacher asked

"Very…metropolitan." Arella improvised

"Well put." She agreed while beginning the days Trigonometry lesson

Later…

Lunch time.

When Arella and her mother went to pick up their milking cow, they visited a sprawling stockyard. She was just a toddler at the time but could vividly remember the great moving mass of smelly bovines being herded into the feeding pens. Oddly, Hamilton High's lunch program brought around a screaming case of déjà vu.

Students waited in line with their trays as spoonfuls of slop were slapped into its corresponding space. It was soon her turn and the portly lunch lady scooped what resembled a hockey puck slathered in excremental brown goo.

"Oh boy. 'A girl ahead of her giggled' Salisbury Steak."

Is that what this was? Whatever. Next came helpings of bright canary-yellow corn and prefabricated Tater Tots. At the end of the food line was a shelf stocked with servings of desserts on small plastic plates and sealed cartons of fruit juice and milk. Well, maybe this wasn't a complete loss. She chose a brick of green jello and a small cardboard carton of moo juice and placed them on her tray, carefully avoiding the equally gelatinous brown gravy. It must be why they have a giant screen television in the cafeteria- to keep their minds off the nasty food.

With tray in hand, she looked out over the lunchroom. The student body had been split into different tightly packed groups (or "cliques" as her mother explained). The chatty and giggling girl squad had usurped one table while grunting jocks in matching letterman jackets had annexed another. One table towards the rear was only sparsely populated with some rather down-trodden looking boys and girls. This must be the "reject" table. Good a choice as any she supposed. She slid onto the bench. The denizens gave her a once over and promptly returned to their feelings of inadequacy.

Picking at the ersatz steak, the memory of their cow's case of the explosive dropsy popped in her head. Well that killed her appetite. She pushed her tray away.

A crash and thud caught the room's attention. She turned to see the chubby boy from first period splayed out on the floor, his tray's contents spattered on the scuffed white tile. He had apparently been walking by the jocks table when Nelson stuck his leg out and tripped him. The jocks laughed at the unfortunates embarrassing circumstances.

"Clumsy." Nelson laughed

Oh this wasn't going to stand. Arella hated bullies but took great joy in humiliating them. Before transferring here, she had spent a year at Smallville High. And in that time many a bully received their comeuppance before her unique talents. So much in fact, their principal actually had the water tested to find out what the hell was going on with their student body.

"Shame on you Nelson….shame on you." She whispered

Nelson's laughter at the prone and embarrassed humanity heaped at his feet faded, replaced by tears welling in his eyes. His comrades eyed their sniffling leader wiping his nose with his arm.

"What are you staring at? 'Nelson bawled' Quit staring at me."

His victim stood. He saw the jock's imposed sadness and patted him on the shoulder.

"Its okay…I'm sure you didn't mean it."

"Get away from me _twip._" He sobbed

Much later…

Gym class.

While the boys practiced wrestling techniques in the squared circle on the gym floor, the girls were off to the side doing boring calisthenics. Shame. After heaving bales of hay and wayward cows all her life, body slamming and suplexes would have been an interesting notion.

"Jumping Jacks." Their coach (nicknamed "Butch" by Arella's compatriots) barked

The class moaned with dread.

"One and two…one and two" She bellowed as the girls jumped and clapped in unison

A roar of hoots and hollers erupted from the ring. Immediately the girls left their places, leaving Arella behind. Their instructor just bowed her head in defeat.

"Uh Ma'am?"

"Go ahead." Butch dismissed

Arella joined the group by the ring. Apparently two of the boys were engaged in a wrestling grudge match. The smartass jock Nelson was tangling with Terry.

"Nelson! Nelson!" The boys chanted

Ma was right: men are just a bunch of kids. Why didn't they just whip it out and settle the argument?

"Oh no" Dana, the raven-haired girl moaned

Unlike the other denizens of the "In Crowd", Dana seemed much more personable. Terry has excellent taste in women and she shared great affection for him.

"What's going on?" Arella asked

"Oh Nelson must have called him a _twip_ again."

That's a bad thing? Arella was so behind when it came to Gotham slang. She would have to just have to chalk it up as an insult. Personally the girl preferred Tamaranian insults; at least they sound half-way sophisticated and while the victim is looking for a dictionary, the perpetrator can flee.

"Five creds on Nelson." Chelsea, the blond, girl squad alpha smiled

"You're on." Dana smiled

The two combatants carefully circled each other, waiting the right opportunity to pounce. Arella found it satisfying that she shared Terry's irritation at that dope. And since she still owed Nelson for the incidents in first period, maybe she should put in her two cents?

She focused on the redhead and reached out with her mind. So what would it be? Happy? Sad? Fear? Just for a change of pace, let's make him happy.

"You are very happy Nelson….very, very happy." Arella whispered

In the ring…

"Nelson! Nelson!" The crowd chanted in unison

"You are SO going down McGinnis."

"Bring it Dreg." Terry growled

Nelson presently began to chuckle, taking Terry off-guard.

His chuckling increased in tempo, becoming raucous, uncontrollable laughing. Nelson's face blushed and he fell to his knees.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I….can't…stop." He managed through a beet-red face of tears

Terry just stood and looked around confused. Talk about an anti-climax.

"Dude, I think he's flipped." An onlooker gasped

"Yeah, game over." Another agreed

The disappointed crowd dispersed, leaving the hysterical Nelson and befuddled Terry behind. He turned to see Dana and a satisfied Arella watching.

"What happened?" Dana asked

"Dunno. 'Terry shrugged while watching Nelson doubled over on the ground and giggling like a loon' Too many Z Balls to the head I guess."

Arella released Nelson and his giggles faded to choking gasps.

"Or maybe all his bad karma finally caught up with him." Arella added with a devilish smile.

He ought to consider himself lucky. Next time Nelson decides to test her he's going to end up with wet undies.

Phase 2: Contact. According to news reports, exactly two thirds of Batman's crime busting activities is centered on a street gang known as the Jokerz. It stands to reason that if she were to monitor them, the caped crusader would eventually appear. Do not, repeat DO NOT reveal yourself to either party.

That afternoon, at the Gotham Imperial Arms Motel…

Arella slammed the door of her motel room and braced her body against it. Christ that was more than enough for one day. If one more male thought about her breasts, butt or legs, she was going to just strip and give them all a big steamy gawk.

It was an odd contrast being a female empath. On one hand you're on the receiving end of a males appraising gaze. But being an empath, you can somewhat understand their primitive urges. A majority of the time they have no idea they're doing it. Bully for them, seriously sucky for her.

Her room was pretty shabby as compared to the modular and modern halls of Hamilton High. The concrete walls were covered with all manner of odd stains and the furniture looked to have been salvaged from the dump. No rats or roaches though; they probably preferred the upper scale hotels downtown. She could have easily arranged a room at the local youth hostel but having room mates would have complicated things.

She took off her glasses and set them on the bureau top. Actually the specs were just plain uncorrected glass lenses. They pinched her nose but added to the disguise.

Throwing herself on the squeaky bed, she kicked off her white sneakers and reveled in the silence and solitude.

Her quarry had been identified. Now came the tricky part.

She slid off her bed and looked out her room window. Still too light to go out just yet. Arella pulled apart the Velcro strap securing the waist of her skirt and let it slip down her legs to the floor. Not taking her eyes off the window, she unbuttoned her white blouse, pulled it off and tossed it on the bed.

The noise coming from the city beyond seemed to beckon to her. Maybe it was time to let Nil out? Yeah it was early still but some Darklight practice would do her good. There was no room for errors here: she was on the twentieth floor with no piles of hay to land in.

Arella closed her eyes, took deep measured breaths and reached deep inward. Her sharp practiced mind found another…cold and calculating, without emotion. The color of her skin drained away, turning it a stone gray.

"**That is better**" She droned

The day Nil first emerged was forever etched in her mind. It was five days after her thirteenth birthday when Ma had burned a loaf of bread in the oven. Traditionally Arella did all the cooking but that day her mother decided to give it a go. Well sad to say, the helpless bread paid the ultimate price.

As Ma tossed the smoldering wreckage into the sink, the anger erupted from her body like a raging forest fire. It was rare Ma lost her temper and when she did, real, REAL bad things happened. But this time was different. Instead of running for cover, Arella instinctively left her seat at the table and approached. Instead of fearing Ma's anger, she wanted it…with every fiber of her being.

In such a deep trance she was, the girl hadn't noticed the color draining from her skin or her emotions fading away. Ma turned to see what remained of her daughter lurching towards her with hands outstretched.

But instead of screaming or panicking, Ma stood her ground. She cupped its cold gray cheeks and looked straight into it's forest green eyes. Her mother wasn't scared but worried, as if she had been expecting this.

"What is your name?" Ma asked carefully

Her cold voided mind thought back to all their years of meditation. Her mind was to contain nothing…_Nil. _

"**Nil" **It responded

"What do you feel?" She asked carefully

"**Nothing…I feel…empty**."

Ma took her small gray hands and gently fed the anger to her. It satisfied Nil, the desire to feed evaporated.

"You are not a monster 'Ma assured her' this is just a part of what you are. It is nothing to fear."

Arella came to embrace Nil, like an Armadillos suit of armor or Hedgehogs spines. When troubles arose or she needed support, there was Nil to protect her. Depression or a case of the blues? Nil cured it. It was especially handy when there were chores to be done. A stubborn wayward cow couldn't protest too much when a girl a tenth its weight can lift it like a Chihuahua. And hauling bales of hay? Easy peasy. Truly, it was a gift.

Nil looked upon itself in the cracked dresser mirror. She reached out its bare left arm and allowed the viscous black energies to flow from the palm of her hand. It was an extension of her body, like flexing a muscle. She willed the light swallowing ebony to cover her arms up to the shoulders. Nil concentrated and…

_SLINK, SLINK, SLINK_

Ebony spikes sprouted out of her arm. Taking the paper copy of her school schedule, she ran it along her spike studded arm and easily shredded it. Nil released the projections and the black energies disappeared with a puff, revealing the gray skin underneath. The projections are as solid as she desired.

The black gathered on her back and stretched outward, becoming a framework of long black bones. So wide they were, the sharp tips nearly touched either wall. A thin, flexible membrane of black filled the gaps between the bones, creating bat wings. These were preferable for gliding. If long distances or speed was an issue, the bird wings would be more appropriate. It took years of practice and many unsuccessful dives off the barn roof to get them just right.

Nil flapped the wings, making her long brunette hair billow. They fell still and she allowed them to dissolve away. That would be enough for now lest she need to feed again. She turned and looked out the window. The sun was nearly down, turning the sky a dark purple.

It was time.

She pulled open the bottom drawer of her dresser and produced a pair of black slacks, steel-tipped boots with buckles, matching belt and black half shirt. It took a hell of a lot of sneaking around to gather these. If by some quirk Nil was identified, she didn't need some store owner fingering her. She might have decided on brighter colors but it just didn't seem appropriate. Besides: in Gotham, black was traditional.

Nil slipped on the black half shirt. The chest was adorned with the white visage of a crow with wings outstretched. Arella had painted it herself. It was either that or a Bat and the latter was taken. Pulling on the pants, she secured them around her miniscule waist with the belt. Arella actually preferred trousers but needed to fit in better with the Gotham student body.

Sitting on the bed she pulled on the boots and tightened the buckles. Ah there was nothing like the feel of a good pair of substantial boots. Of course Nil couldn't appreciate them but Arella sure did when she picked them out. Was it any wonder why Superman never wore Clam Diggers or Mukluks?

She gathered her long brunette hair and secured it in back with a black Srunci. Now for the crowning touch: in honor of her crime-fighting roots. Taking a small pen shaped device from the dressers top drawer, she touched the blue end to her pony tail. Miraculously, her hair color shifted from dark brown to blue. It was the biggest fad in Gotham that year: color changing hair dye. It allowed the kids to make their hair odd colors without pissing off their parents.

Nil returned to the window. The sky outside was now dark, lightened by a rainbow of flashing neon and digital signs. She pressed a small red button on the bottom of the window frame and it obediently slid open.

A vast mountain range of monolithic buildings loomed before her and the sounds of a million conversations and cars flooded her gray ears. Her entire being, both Arella and Nil, wanted to be here.

She climbed out through the window and onto the ledge.

According to news reports the Jokerz frequented the west end. Hopefully Batman would be out tonight. Black bat wings sprouted from her back again and spread wide, catching the wind. Taking another second to double check her bearings, she jumped off the edge and glided away.

This felt natural….destined.

Nil managed a smile.

Phase 3: Infiltration. Once Batman had been identified and found, follow him home. It is common knowledge that the original Caped Crusader had a "Bat Cave" and it stands to reason the current Batman is using the same one.

Later…

Gotham was an entirely different place at night. During the day it was a bustling metropolis of sky-reaching towers teaming with people going about their business and living their lives. But when the sun goes down, it's as if the city flips over and all the dark creatures from below emerge. It's in this necropolis of darkened monoliths and souls where Batman lives. To find him, one must be dark as well. And what could be more so than a Spirit Drinker?

Nil landed on the roof of an office building, folded the wings tight to her back and paused. Not to rest but to take in the sight of its rooftop billboard. The thing was nearly twice as tall as the barn back home and three times as wide. The looping message on its immense surface depicted an Asian woman drinking from a pop can and smiling at the city beyond. They didn't have a television back home as their nights were spent meditating or reading. But indeed Nil found the spectacle rather mesmerizing not to mention persuasive. She would have to sample some of this…Diet Mango Splunky

Shaking off her daze, Nil trotted around the billboard to the other side of the roof and hopped up on the ledge. She was getting close. The buildings here were more ramshackle and the minds of the pedestrians a bit more devious. Some were drunk or high while others were just up to no good.

Scanning the dark street far below, her ears caught the sound of an out of tune Nickelodeon. She followed the sound to a battered antique ice cream truck puttering up the street. Nil was still pretty inexperienced on city life but knew enough to realize an Ice Cream truck out at this hour in this part of town was seriously out of place.

Her mind focused on the truck. The driver inside was looking for customers but not for frozen treats. Drugs perhaps? This might be just what she's looking for.

Hmm, two towering factory complexes ahead were flanking the street and creating a bit of a choke point. It would take too long to go around and flying between them could give her away to the truck driver.

Nil jumped off the ledge and silently followed the truck towards the gap. To clear this obstacle was going to be tricky. Darklights covered his hands and claws sprouted from her fingertips. She learned this maneuver while observing BB scale her cat tree.

Impacting with the tower wall, she dug her claws into the building's tough metal facade. Any normal person would have suffered nasty injuries doing that little stunt but then Nil was anything but normal. She peeked around the corner and watched the truck continue through the canyon far below. The driver was luckily still unaware of her.

Nil carefully inched her way around the corner and immediately sharp winds tore at her, nearly ripping her loose. Nil squeezed closer to the wall and continued on her way. She was much too close to fail now. The drivers stress level was starting to rise, his destination must be near.

She reached the far end and took in the sight. This must be what the local media referred to as "Old Town" or what remained of Gotham after the earthquake of twenty-six. All the ancient brick and mortar buildings were in various states of disrepair. There was an active debate raging on whether to turn the area into an out door museum or simply demolish it and expand the city.

Only a few of the ancient streetlights still functioned, casting a sputtering and dusky hue on the dilapidated hovels. From the street ahead Nil could sense young minds beginning to swarm in apparent anticipation of the truck.

Nil braced her feet against the building side and kicked free. Her wings caught the wind and she silently glided over the slum. It was here over sixty years ago where her father's odyssey began. Perhaps on one of these very streets he met Batman and his troubled life took a complete U-Turn.

The Ice Cream truck stopped midway through the street ahead. She swerved away and landed on a nearby roof, making the ancient roof creak with the impact. Any harder and she might have crashed right through. Squatting below the roof ledge, she watched the scene.

From the shadows surrounding the street, giggling adolescents in brightly colored outfits and clown make-up emerged. They ran up to the truck and began to dance gaily around it like kids around a maypole.

So these are the Jokerz? Ma had told her many stories about the criminal from the original Batman's time (it was popular fodder during especially dark nights or Halloween). To think kids would base their theme on the murderous psychotic was fascinating.

The Jokerz minds percolated with thoughts at the truck's arrival. And through the jumble of impressions, Nil could hear a name being constantly repeated: Giggles. Along with the name came an aura of fear. Was this Giggles their leader? Possibly. It would certainly fit their theme.

A familiar mind was approaching…it was Terry's. But unlike the harried youth she met at school, this one was entirely focused. Nil turned to see a sleek black and red hover car set down on a building by the scene. The canopy slid open and Batman climbed out. Gone were his gray tights and black cape and cowl. Instead, this version was clad entirely in black save for a red bat symbol on his chest. He climbed up on the ledge and silently watched the transaction too.

Nil could feel two separate minds at work. Apparently Terry was communicating with another, much older man.

Below…

"Trick or treat" A purple suited and green haired teen giggled

"Bring your allowance?" The driver asked.

The Joker handed him a stack of newly-pilfered green cash cards.

Taking the cards, the driver reached inside his pants pocket and produced a small hand held box. He pressed the devices only button and the side of the truck swung open, revealing orderly racks of assault rifles and bazookas.

The teenagers oohed and aahed at the sight. A pair of identical twin girls in matching clown face, white shorts, red tube tops and white caps cart wheeled over to the truck and gawked at the ordinance.

"Very pretty Dee Dee…" One of the twins cooed

"Santa got our letter Dee Dee" The other agreed

While the driver stepped back to count his money, the Jokerz began unloading the truck.

Above…

"Yeah it's an arms dealer alright 'Batman whispered' with enough firearms to level most of Gotham."

"_Police are on their way. '_His invisible contact advised' _Stop the transaction and find out what the weapons are for." _

"If you insist."

A small form popped out of Batman's wrist and folded out into a red and black bat shaped boomerang. He tossed it at the van.

_KER-THLANG_

The Jokers and arms dealer turned to see the rapidly blinking boomerang lodged in the trucks cab door.

"RUN!" One screamed as the group scattered

In an explosion that shook the windows for blocks beyond, the truck and all its contents went up in an impressive combustion of flames and shrapnel. In the ensuing chaos, Batman dove off the roof, grabbed the driver by the collar and wrenched him off the street.

They landed on the ledge of a building across the street. Below an army of white patty wagons and Gotham police in black and white armor arrive and begin corralling up the Jokerz.

"What are the weapons for?" Batman calmly demanded

"Party favors? 'The dealer gasped' damned if I know."

Batman reached down, grabbed the dealer's ankle and dangled him over the side.

"What are they for?" He asked again, in the same calm monotone voice

"Dunno! 'He bawled' I was just told to drive up here and get the cash!"

"Who gave them to you?"

The dealer fell silent. Batman eased his grip on the leg and it slid a few more inches.

"Running out of leg."

"Please…they'll kill my kids."

"_Galvanic responses are constant._ 'Terry's invisible counsel advised' _he's telling the truth."_

Batman jumped off the roof and using the suits built-in boot jets gently settled on the street besides the gathered police cars. An older bespectacled woman stepped forward

"One arms dealer" He said dropping the urine soaked and drooling criminal who promptly collapsed to the crumbled asphalt in a trembling heap.

"Say anything before he passed out?" She asked, motioning her officers to take him away.

"Another lackey. He didn't know anything either."

"Figures. Any word on the street?"

"We're looking into it."

"Pick it up. That's the fifth load this month and we can only hold the Jokers for seventy-two hours."

Without another word she walked away to supervise the gang's round-up.

Back above…

After a lifetime of hearing stories of Batman's adventures, to actually see him at work was quite impressive. Now Nil could finally see what had her father so enamored. He was a living embodiment of the city, wreaking revenge on those daring to defile it. The old cape and cowled one was appropriate for the old Gotham but Terry fits in with the new.

She really should seize the opportunity and complete her mission but spared some seconds to survey the shackled punks being led into the patty wagons. Like fingerprints, all minds are different. The more Nil surveys, the easier they will be to identify later. Chances are she will deal with this bunch again.

"_God my parents are gonna kill me"_

"_Goodbye allowance"_

"_Wonder if Juvy is serving Salisbury steak tonight."_

"_Seventy-two hours? I'm gonna miss the game!"_

The last to be loaded were the twins. One was snarling at what transpired while the other…

Nil cocked her head. Odd. Instead of lamenting or fear, she detected feelings of sad desperation, a sense of being trapped. This reluctant Joker was named Deidre. Nil noted it for later consideration; she might me worth investigating.

Back at the Batcave…

Bruce turned from the massive mainframe computer and watched as the black and crimson vehicle sped in through the cave's side entrance and settled onto the suspended landing pad. Its canopy slid open and Batman climbed out. He pulled off his mask and joined Bruce at the computer

"Saw arms shipment 'Terry yawned' smeared same."

Bruce remained silent and just glared. Obviously something was amiss. The Doberman snoozing at his feet lifted his head and began to growl too. Bruce was always upset but what did he do to piss off Ace?

"What?" Terry begged

"You were followed."

Oh crap not again. God help him if it's another reporter.

"But I did a complete Bio scan while on approach."

Bruce hauled himself out of his seat and hobbled over to the pad. Terry and Ace followed.

"The scans are useless: she's intangible." He explained

"She?"

He tapped his cane on the hover cars thick armored hull.

"You can come out now…your infiltration skills are exceptional but your stealth leaves much to be desired."

A form emerged from the vehicles fuselage. Terry produced another Boomerang but Bruce motioned for him to stand down.

"If she were hostile, you would be dead already."

It was apparently a girl about Terry's age. She was dressed in all black clothing and her gray skinned face was frozen in a neutral, emotionless gaze. As she approached the pair, Ace growled and made to intercept her. Instead of running, Nil squatted down and cupped her hands on either side of its head and immediately put the dog at ease. Spirit Drinkers have a way with animals.

Hmm, most panic or run at the sight of her but Mister Wayne didn't even bat an eye. Had he been expecting her?

"Nil" Bruce acknowledged

She stood and faced the legend.

"**Batman"** She returned with respect

"Raven allowed you to leave?"

"**She really had no choice; Arella can be quite headstrong as well."**

"I really hate to interrupt but who the hell is this?" Terry interjected

"Arella Erickson, daughter of Raven and Will." Bruce explained

Didn't ring a bell but then the superhero culture is so cliquey. If Bruce didn't panic, he wouldn't either. Terry made a mental note to check the data base later.

Nil opened her mind and took it all in. Oh the history here! The caves parapets were filled with all manner of museum-type glass cases containing mementos of Batman's life time of adventures. Looming in the dark beyond was a full scale model Tyrannosaurus Rex, an equally imposing Joker playing card and three-story tall penny. Her mind boggled on what it must have took to get these in here.

She stepped over to a glass case holding a Ventriloquist Dummy dressed as a depression-era mobster complete with a miniature Tommy gun attached to its small hand. She carefully laid her hands lightly on either side of the case.

Visions and names flooded her head. This thing was no toy but actually the second half of a split personality. Referred to as "Scarface" by its owner, the pair was responsible for a rash of crimes in Gotham. Its career finally ended when in a fit of rage, Scarface killed its owner and unwittingly committed suicide. Nil got the impression that the doll's owner was an unwitting pawn of the split personality.

It wandered amongst the displays. She could spend her entire lifetime here learning all there was to learn. As she read, Bruce and Terry watched from afar.

"What's wrong with her?" Terry whispered

"Spirit Drinkers are powerful empaths." Bruce explained

"Oh yeah: that explains everything."

Well this could go on for weeks; Bruce had best intervene. He hobbled over to Nil who was scanning a ragged Scarecrow costume.

"Do you require wrist tattoos or can you summon Nil mentally?" He asked

Nil was too preoccupied to respond. She was reliving an incident at Gotham Coliseum when the Scarecrow held the spectators hostage with a single vial of fear toxin. His young ward Robin took part in this incident. Didn't Ma mention she worked with him at one time?

Turning away from the case, another exhibit caught her eye. Within a tall cylindrical exhibit hung a tattered and scorched black overcoat. Propped up at the foot of the coat lay a small length of hollow steel pipe wrapped in ancient brown leather. The aura the items emitted seemed to beckon to her. Nil placed her hands on the case. But this was different; it wasn't enough. She embraced the case with her arms and laid her cheek on it as well.

"Now what's wrong with her?"

"They belonged to her father."

_Empty…_

_Empty…_

All the feelings and thoughts it held mirrored her own. He was a cold skinned blank amongst a world of humans who feared him. But from this world of loneliness and isolation, Nil saw smiling faces. A green skinned boy with the unique ability to change into animals smiled at her and a ruby red haired girl with green within green eyes smiled as well. From these allies, another face emerged. Her face was gray as well save for a gem on her forehead. But their relationship went beyond friendship…they loved each other. It was her mother, back when she was Arella's age.

Ma had told her much about Aenoch but experiencing the world through his eyes put everything in perspective. If such things were possible, she would be weeping.

An old liver-spotted hand squeezed her shoulder and broke her concentration.

"Arella?"

She released the case and turned to them. Nil closed her eyes and the color rushed back to her skin. Her forest green eyes opened wide and she smiled warmly.

"Grandpa"

"Grandpa? 'Terry laughed' God I SO knew it! So who was it? Wonder Woman or Black Canary?"

Bruce turned to him with a stern look…sterner that usual. He immediately stood down.

"Shutting up sir."

He remained silent while looking down at her. His mind was blank, in apparent anticipation of her scans. Any impressions he has of her would have to remain a mystery.

"My father owes his existence to you. 'Arella reasoned' It was either you or Trigon."

The old man wasn't impressed. He remained silent and hobbled away. Arella was more than a bit disappointed. After a life time of imagining the occasion of finally meeting her fathers mentor, she had been hoping for a warmer reception. Terry seemed amiable though. Of course he at this point he really didn't have much of a choice. As the Tamaranians would say: "The Porkins was out of the Dragma".

"You were the one in Trig and Gym today." He whispered

"Lucky for me. I was afraid I would have to search the entire school to find you."

"There was no luck to it." Bruce added coldly

He probably knew the minute she arrived in Gotham. For all she knew the old man arranged for them to share classes.

"And what happened to Nelson in Gym?"

"I dislike bullies."

"You know they're making him see a shrink."

"Hope they can help him."

As Terry and Arella followed Bruce back to the computer, Ace took his place by the girl's side.

"It took weeks for him to warm up to me." Terry remarked

"Ace was doing his job. I just put him at ease." She said while patting him on the side, eliciting a panting doggie smile.

"How do you know his name?"

"He told me."

Household dogs and cats know their names. Vermin instead work on an entirely instinctual basis (eat, sleep and reproducing) while insects think in groups. They had the most amiable and trouble-free farm animals in Kansas.

Bruce sat at the computer and pressed a few buttons while Terry and Arella looked on.

"What kind of arms were they?" Bruce asked

"Plasma throwers and M-ninety rifles."

"Special Operation equipment. 'Bruce nodded' whomever is providing these weapons have access to the military."

"What's going on?" Arella asked

"The loss of the Joker left a serious power vacuum in the gang's leadership. In the last few months, another has stepped in and usurped control."

"Giggles?" Arella offered

"Correct. No one outside the gang has seen him but he is psychotic…"

"What makes you say that?" She asked

"The five Jokerz we found with their throats cut." Terry sighed

"Christ." She gulped

"So what now? Terry yawned

"Nothing. I'll file some inquiries through Wayne Tech's military contacts. Meantime, go home."

Bruce turned to Arella.

"You too."

"But…"

Exactly ten minutes later…

The front doors slammed behind them. God half her life was leading up to this! To be sent away like that was the very definition of anticlimax.

"That's it? 'She sighed' Hello, get out?"

"Were you expecting a hug?"

"Well no but…"

"Look: this is Wayne's world and he's pretty selective on who he brings into it. I had to steal the suit and get beat up for him to let me in. Just let it rest for now."

"You make it sound like the mob."

"Not a bad way of putting it. 'He chuckled' but instead of Tommy Guns and Godfathers, we have Batarangs and Bruce."

They stepped through the estates front wrought-iron gates. Arella turned just in time to see the manors only light shut off. Terry climbed on his motorcycle and kick started its humming engine.

"Going to meet Dana?" She asked

"How did you…never mind." He sighed

God having a mind reader around will take some getting used to.

"Need a ride?" He asked

"I'll walk. Lot of thinking to do."

"Believe me I understand." Terry said and sped off, blowing dead leaves in his wake.

Arella now stood alone in the dark. Not exactly the evening's conclusion she had been hoping for. Shoving her hands in her pockets, she made her way home.

That next day…

The girls were running another circuit around the gyms padded indoor track. Arella appreciated it that day; she had a lot of frustrations to dispose of. So many years preparing and training for naught. This victimized and crushed sensation must be what a wedgie feels like. Maybe she could just go solo? Eh they would hand her ass to her the first night.

"Hey Arella." Dana bid, shaking the girl from her fit of self pity

Arella had developed quite a liking for the girl. She was very nurturing; unlike the old dink she met last night. Dana was also a convenient link between her and Terry.

"How do you like it here?" She asked

"Compared to Smallville High? 'Arella laughed' it's like being on the moon."

"God I can't see why ANYONE would want to live there." Chelsea sniffed

After some studying, Arella realized the blond wasn't nasty just seriously spoiled and immature. In fact, Chelsea's bratty ways were a bit of a joke with the other girls.

"It's why I came here. Smallville is SO yesterday. I mean chalk boards and pencils? So entirely _unshway_."

"Erickson!" Butch called

She screeched to a halt.

"C'mon: principal wants you."

"Uh oh…BUSTED!" The other girls giggled

"Must have looked in my locker." She laughed

It was fun pretending to be bubble-headed. If only her mother could see her now! It was what Ma would refer to as "pulling a Beast Boy"…whatever the hell that means.

In the principal's office…

Ancient wood furniture and desk and photos of school functions and examples of Japanese calligraphy on the walls made up the bulk of his office. The lack of clutter was no doubt a throwback to Principal Nakamura's Japanese roots. No rack or cattle prods though, as hinted at by her comrades.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked

"On the contrary my dear, you did something right. Ever heard of Mister Bruce Wayne?"

A silly question but best play things on the QT.

"Just what I've seen on Television."

"He's the richest man in Gotham, not to mention our biggest philanthropist and most generous donor. And apparently he's currently in the market for an intern."

"Really?"

"Yup. And upon seeing your excellent academic scores, Mister Wayne has decided to offer the position to you. Interested?"

Apparently she did make a good impression.

"Most definitely."

One month earlier, in Smallville…

Kneeling on the attic floor, Rachel Erickson rooted through the trunk of old baby clothes and various junk. From the jumble of antiques she found the rolled up blue baby blanket. It had been Arella's during her first months and still smelled of spit-up and formula.

She set it on the floor and unrolled it, revealing a small yellow radio hidden inside. Of all the stuff from her super hero salad days, this was the only thing she kept. Something in the back of her head knew this day would come. God sometimes being so smart really sucks.

Taking the Radio, she pressed a button on it's side and the front panel flipped open. Immediately the view screen inside flickered into life. The sucker still works! Cyborg certainly built them to last. She pressed the red alarm button on its face. Would he still have his nearby? Let's hope so otherwise things were going to get very complicated

After several minutes, an aged but familiar face appeared. His once youthful face was now wrinkled and furrowed and his black hair had gone almost entirely gray. He squinted.

"_Who is this?"_ Nightwing asked suspiciously

"Who do you think?"

His eyes opened wide.

"_Good Christ, Raven?"_

"Rachel. 'She corrected' has been for seventeen years."

"_Ah, okay. How's Arella?"_

"That's why I'm calling. I need to talk to Batman."

_"We haven't spoken in years. Pretty sure he's retired."_

"Bruce then? It's very important."

_"I can arrange it. What's up?"_

"He's got a little surprise heading his way."

The End


	2. Chapter 2

This story belongs to Eric Holingsworth and i am posting it with his expressed permission.

Pup Tense

By

Eric H

Ah Spring Break.

To kids Arella's age it means a trip to the beach and general cutting loose for a few days. Ah yes, taking advantage of ones young years.

"Rotten son of a…" Arella grumbled while pushing the roaring antique vacuum cleaner across another of Wayne Manor's thousand or so Persian carpets.

Yes vacations were being had, but not for Arella. While Bruce was in Oslo taking part in a week long symposium on non-lethal weapons the girl was given the duty of watching Ace. She hadn't fancied a trip back to Kansas so a week in Wayne Manor seemed like a dream come true. A dream that is until Bruce gave her a list of chores he wanted done.

All of the list entries were pretty standard busywork fare: dusting of his porcelain collection, waxing the kitchen floor, etc. But her hostility came from the week's major project: vacuuming all the rooms on the first floor. One might easily dismiss it but the place was huge!

To make matters worse, she was forbidden entry downstairs. The girl had hoped to spend her vacation time scanning Bruce's artifacts and perusing the database but she had been entirely shut out. And God only knows what fail safes he had set up to keep her honest.

Arella had accepted some hardships when she agreed to be his intern but this was seriously going above and beyond the norm. Terry was the lucky one. He had fallen so behind in school he was spending his vacation back in Hamilton making up lost credits. Just her luck for being so damn smart

Early that morning she plugged in Bruce's steel and plastic dinosaur and began work. There were forty rooms on the bottom floor so she figured eight a day should just get her through. Hard to believe how much dust these rugs collect. She doubted any of these had been trod on in her lifetime.

"…from their tower they can see it all: Teen Titans." She sang over the machines roar

During a search of the net she found a recording of Ma's old theme song. So goofy, no wonder she had never mentioned it.

_BING BONG!_

The manor's booming doorbell trumped the machines ancient roar. She stomped the vacuum's power button and trotted through the foyer to the front door. Mister Wayne never got visitors so this must be something important. Ace was pacing expectantly by the entryway. Arella could sense the Doberman's hope it was Bruce

"Stand down Bat Dog 'Arella said twisting the doors massive deadbolt' He wouldn't use the doorbell."

She pushed the thick wooden doors open. Before her stood an older, rather irate man holding a large cardboard box.

"Where the hell is Wayne?" The stranger growled

"He's gone for the week. Can I help you?"

"I'll say you can. That mutt of his had its way with my Majestic Interlude."

"Majestic Interlude?"

"My purebred Rottweiler bitch."

"You named a Rottweiler Majestic Interlude?" She laughed

"Yeah go ahead and laugh kid but she's a five time winner in the hundred-pounds plus category."

"Well sorry about that but…"

"I'm sorry too."

He shoved the box at Arella. From inside the carton she could hear scratching and high pitched whining.

"Normally I would sell her pups for a thousand creds a piece but these are utterly worthless."

He stomped away.

"But…" She called

"But nothing, they're all yours. Tell your boss the next time that mutt of his gets near my dog, he's gonna hear from my lawyer."

She watched him until he disappeared through the front gate.

Arella placed the box on the ground and pulled apart the flaps. Inside, wrestling amidst a pile of shredded paper were four large black puppies. Ace looked inside the carton and gave the new arrivals a curious sniff.

"They should smell familiar 'She sighed' you made them."

Arella picked up the box and took them inside. Geez these suckers were heavy! And the boxes' shifting center of gravity didn't help either. Where to put them? Bruce would have a thousand kinds of hissy-fit if she lets them run around the main hall. Cripes this was something they never discussed before he left. Perhaps the servant's quarters?

She schlepped the box through the foyer and into the main dining room. Ace followed.

"This is all your fault you know. 'She groaned from the boxes' weight' one booty call and we all suffer. Hope you had one hell of a good time."

The Doberman remained silent: typical male.

They traversed the kitchen's linoleum expanse and into the servant's quarters. Alfred's apartment door was sealed but a delivery entrance led out the back. Arella pushed open the ancient screen door.

Aha! Perfect. The porch was entirely enclosed by screens and sported a cement floor. She placed the box on the ground and gently liberated the pups from the box. They ran about the porch, sniffing all there was to sniff.

"So what now?" She sighed aloud

Well no point in making a decision on their disposition, it wasn't her house. She reached inside her jeans pocket and produced her Cell phone. It was the only piece of equipment Bruce had issued her. The phone was linked to the Bat Computer and had unlimited long distance. From the screen's menu she found Bruce's number and hit speed dial. He had warned her not to call except in a case of emergency. Does this qualify? It will if he comes home to a house full of pee stained carpets.

Bruce's aged face appeared on the phones small screen. In the background the girl could hear someone speaking into a microphone, she must have interrupted one of their conferences. Arella was half expecting a strip club.

"What?" He whispered

"We've hit a, um, snag."

"What kind of snag?"

"Remember when Ace snuck off a few months ago?"

"Yes"

"I've found out why." She said pointing the phone pad's camera to the porch full of romping black puppies.

"Oh good God." He moaned

She turned the phone face back to her.

"Indeed. So d'you want me to build a pen out back or…"

"Get rid of them." He interrupted

"How?"

"Put an ad on the Net. I want them gone when I get back."

"Yes Grandp…sir."

Arella folded her phone closed and stuffed it back in her pocket.

"Well you heard the man." She told the pups

She stood. Even if she were to put up an ad right now, it would take a few days for them all to get adopted. They would be needing food and bedding.

"Most unshway." Arella sighed

Later…

With Ace looking on, she pushed through the screen door with her arms full of supplies. The pups mobbed her and began tugging her pants leg.

"Okay you guys, I'm back."

The puppies had already had numerous accidents. It had been an inspired choice to quarter them out here. Since newspapers were extinct, she would need an alternative. From the shopping bag she pulled out a bale of "Puppy Piddle Pads". Tearing open its cellophane wrapper she took a few of the white sheets and spread them out over the far side of the porch. Taking a puppy, she set it on the paper.

"Now if you twips want to relieve yourselves, you do it here. Got it?"

Her empathic skills make communicating with animals a cinch. Unfortunately, baby animals are nearly impossible to read or influence as their attentions are being pulled in a million different directions. As the result the pup couldn't care less and pranced away to play with its siblings.

She set out the blue plastic food dish and filled it with Puppy Chow kibble. The animals immediately converged on the dish and began gorging themselves on the tiny bone and cat shaped nuggets. God only knows when that creep fed them last.

"It ain't Steak but it'll do."

She also set out a new water dish and tossed them a squeaky plastic hamburger and miniature fire hydrant. They took notice of the playthings and began chewing on the toys, eliciting high pitched squeaks. Cripes look at the size of their paws! These buggers are going to be absolutely huge.

To make their identification easier, Arella produced a bag of multicolored garter belts. She had been hoping for blue and pink ones but this was all they had. Tearing open the bag she carefully organized the bands: cool colors (blue, purple, green) for boys and hot (red, yellow, and orange) for girls.

Arella snatched one of the pups eating from the food dish and examined it.

"You are obviously a boy." She said and slipping a blue garter around its thick neck.

She did the same with the others. Apparently the brood consisted of three boys and only one girl. Arella took the female in her arms where it immediately began licking her face, giving the girl a big whiff of its distinctive puppy breath.

Of all the pups, the girl was the only one to take on the distinctive Rottweiler characteristics. While the others were all black like their daddy, this one sported brown paws, bib and muzzle.

"You get a bright red one, hot stuff." She smiled slipping a ruby red garter on the pup and returning it to the floor.

They seemed content (hard to tell with puppies) so Arella stood and carefully slid back through the screen door. The ad would have to wait until tonight as she had more rooms to clean before the sun went down.

"Have a hot time."

As Arella walked away, a crying howl erupted from the porch. She turned to see the one female puppy watching her through the screen door and weeping.

"Stay out there and use the paper." She said walking away.

The cry returned, much higher in tempo. Stubborn little bugger. Obviously this one wasn't taking no for an answer. She opened the screen door a crack and the pup pranced in. It sat at Arella's feet, looked up at her and pasted on its finest panting doggie smile.

"Guess I could use someone to talk to."

The dynamic duo returned to work.

Later…

Yes they were a fine team. While Arella pushed the vacuum, the pup chased it across the floor and gave it firm barks and nips.

"That's right: show that Remington who's boss." She laughed

If it's this ornery now, the girl could only imagine how it will be full grown. Probably enough to give Tamaranian Boomfa dogs a run for their money.

She stomped its power button and the vacuum's roar mercifully died, returning the manor to its usual quiet self.

"Done and done."

The pup sat and gave the machine one last yap.

"Guess I better make the ad now eh?"

She scooped the pup off the floor and left the room. Not a bad day's work. Tomorrow will be the real test though; they have to hit the main sitting room.

After returning the pup to the porch with its snoozing brothers, Arella sat at the living room couch and opened her laptop. Bruce didn't give her this, all Hamilton students were issued one in place of school books.

Logging on the net she found the Gotham want ad section. Clicking on the "Pets" section she began typing. Let's see: it's gotta catch the eye but not make false promises.

Free pups to good home: Mixed breed (Rottweiler/Doberman) two months old. Contact Arella at 583-3433-3433422-34.

There, that should be good enough. She might have put in some choice adjectives like "cute" or "cuddly" but these WERE Rottie mutts. Guiding the arrow down to the bottom of the screen, she clicked on the "post" button.

Two days later…

"Yes, there're two left."

"_Any males?" _The caller asked

"One"

As they bantered, she pressed the small yellow button on the phone pad. The Bat Computer did a thorough background search through the police files. According to this the guy was clean save for a few parking tickets.

"_Sounds good. _'He nodded'_ Where you at?"_

"Know where Wayne Manor is?"

_  
"Sure"_

"Drop by tomorrow morning and he's yours."

"_Gotcha."_ He said and hung up.

She looked down at the girl pup dozing at her feet.

"Well that's the lot except for you."

The puppy yawned wide and laid its chin on her foot.

After the last few days, the girl had built a great appreciation for the animal. It was ballsy and brave while still remaining cuddly and ready with an eager tongue. It was going to be tough saying goodbye to her. Kinda sucks her apartment building didn't take pets.

Three days later…

"We're out of males but got one female left."

"_No thanks." _He said and hung up

This was the twelfth call that day alone and no one wanted the girl. The arrogant fools mistakenly assumed that a female Rottweiler is any less imposing than a male and since she wasn't purebred, breeding was out of the question.

Maybe fate was telling her something? Yeah it was: get a dog and subsequently evicted. Bruce would never let her move in and then what? A box in Gotham Park? This place was the best she could afford on her meager savings.

God this was seriously starting to sting.

Saturday…

Bruce and Terry stepped inside the front doors. Terry had taken a few minutes from his cramming and gave the old man a ride from the airport. An overjoyed Ace ran about in excited circles.

"Welcome back. 'Arella said taking his bags' Good trip?"

"I've had better. And our OTHER problem?"

"One left. Sorry"

He remained silent and climbed up the steps; jet lag was a real bitch.

"Would you mind if I went home? 'She asked' I'd like to make sure my place is still standing."

"Do everything on the list?"

"Everything" She confirmed

"Go home." He nodded and continued up the steps.

"Could you give me a lift? 'She asked Terry' I'm spent."

"After cleaning this place no wonder."

Later…

Arella stumbled down the hallway to her apartment. God that bed was going to feel good. First though she was going to take a shower. The girl had been too spooked to use any at the manor.

She fumbled through her pockets for her keys. As she unlocked the door, a neighbor walked by. Before him, tethered with a leash, trotted a spotted Dalmatian.

"Excuse me, do you live here?" She asked

The passerby stopped

"Yeah."

"You keep a dog?"

"Sure"

"But the lease said we couldn't."

"Are you kidding? 'He laughed' In THIS neighborhood? More dogs the better. Just means less security our cheap-ass land lord has to flip for."

O good God! Now everything made sense. Ma always said nothing happened by accident. Fate wanted her to have that pup. She pulled out her phone and speed dialed Bruce's number. Crap! Busy. What if it is someone calling about the pup? If Arella loses that dog she'll never forgive herself.

She slapped the button on the window jam and it obediently slid open. It would take too long to walk or call a cab but Nil should get her there in a hurry. She climbed up on the windowsill and concentrated.

Nil took over and along with the Spirit Drinker consciousness went Arella's desires. She was rushing back to Wayne Manor over a dog? Sometimes her counterpart really confounded her.

The black wings sprouted out of her back and she leapt out the window. Adjusting her trajectory, she headed south.

Back at Wayne Manor…

Ace ran to and fro through the mansions cavernous halls and rooms, all the time with its sensitive canine nose pressed to the ground.

Bruce watched from afar.

"Not here either?" He asked the dog

The Doberman lifted its head and gave him a doggie equivalent of a shoulder shrug.

"This is all your fault you know."

Ace bowed his head and sighed.

The pair returned to the foyer. They'll just have to start over. As they made to check the living room again, Nil phased through the front door. Before Bruce or Ace could react, Arella sprinted by them towards the kitchen.

Nearly slipping on the newly waxed linoleum floor, she bounded through the servant's quarters.

"Sorry girl, I changed…"

The porch was empty. All that remained of the puppies were some squeaky chew toys, soiled pee pads and residual feelings of innocent bliss. Tears welled up in her eyes. Goddamn her for hesitating.

"God speed little one." She sniffled

She emerged back into the foyer where Bruce and Ace had not moved. Wiping her eyes Arella turned to her employer.

"What's wrong with you?" Bruce asked

"I missed a one in a life time opportunity."

"Learn from it." He dismissed and walked away.

"Easy for him to say." She sighed

As she made to leave, she noticed Bruce and Ace looking about.

"Anything I can help you with sir?"

"That dog clawed its way out of the porch. And due to your leaving every door here open…"

"She's still here?" Arella squealed

"She?"

"The puppy. She's still here?"

"Yes"

The girl fell to her knees and nearly passed out. Well that knocked a good ten years off her life.

"We've been looking for hours."

"No need sir, I have just the thing." She said and trotted off

Bruce looked down at Ace who was gazing back.

"Any idea?"

The Doberman chose to remain silent.

Arella ran in with the vacuum cleaner. She carefully set it on the ground and slapped the plug into the wall socket. Stomping the machine's power button, it roared into life. The girl then stepped back.

Suddenly a growling black streak bounded in, slipped on the hard wooden foyer floor and slammed into the front door. Hauling itself back to its feet, the puppy began growling and nipping at the machine. Come back for a rematch eh? Arella immediately snatched the pup from the floor and held it to her bosom where it strained up and licked her chin.

"The ad expired two days ago. You forgot to renew it." Bruce sighed

Was that her subconscious talking? Freud would have a field day with this one.

"Not necessary sir. Ill take her."

"Your building takes animals?"

"The rules are…ignored."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. Was she pulling a fast one?

The dog's huge puppy eyes turned to him. Oh how could he say no to such a cute little fuzzy wuzzy character?

"Just get her fixed. We don't a repeat of this mess."

"Yes sir." She smiled

Later…

Arella, with pup in arm, made their way down the front walk. From her elbow hung grocery bags stuffed with the dog bowls, pee pads and unused kibble. She would have to buy the stuff by the ton when the dog grows up.

She set the pup on the ground where it did its business. Wow, that much control already? As it squatted, she considered names. Taking into consideration its unique parentage, no ordinary name would do. It would only be fair to keep with the playing card theme. Royalty would make her sound like a show dog and numbers would just sound stupid.

"How about Deuce?" She asked the relieved puppy.

It sat and gave her a panting doggie smile.

"Deuce it is then."

Four years later…

"Nice try twips 'Mad Stan: nut job and resident anarchist guffawed' the mint is going down tonight!"

"**It is full of people."** Nil advised

"They're all part of the establishment! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!" He roared.

But Nil did not reply; she was giving her side kick mental instructions. As the stand off continued, a monstrous Rottweiler snuck up behind the bomber who was too busy being nuts to notice.

"**Now**" She thought

The Rottie pounced and grabbed Stan's wrist in it's massive jaws, shattering the bones and yanking him to the ground.

"Establishment dog…the corruption stretches into the animal kingdom!" Stan bawled as Nil stepped forward and grabbed the bomb trigger from his paralyzed hand.

"**Deuce**" Nil politely corrected

The End

.


	3. Chapter 3

This story belongs to Eric Holingsworth and i am posting it with his expressed permission.

Deedee's Dissension

By Eric H

This story is hereby dedicated to Nibai Reido, a fine person whose support is most appreciated.

"_Only one who has looked into the abyss possesses the strength to turn away."_

Raven of Azarath

Friday school dismissal fascinated Arella. It felt as if the building's smothering pall of misery and depression were miraculously torn away, leaving behind nothing but pure potentiality. Happy carefree teenagers bounded to and fro reveling in their new found freedom. But for her, there was another school to attend and the only graduation present will be an old man's acceptance.

"And then he just told me to get her fixed." Arella explained

"Who would've thought Mister Wayne would have a soft spot for puppies." Terry snickered

"Cant say I blame him, Deuce's a doll. When she's older, maybe I can bring her along?"

"Sure. Ace could always use a sidekick."

"Sidekick? She'll have fifty pounds on him."

"You know technique beats out bulk any day."

As they discussed their shared secret business, Terry's girlfriend Dana appeared. Usually the girl was personable and bubbly but today she seemed somewhat pissy.

"Terry, you dreg. 'She growled' you were just going to leave without saying anything?"

"Sorry Dana. We just got to talking." He hastily improvised

"Mister Wayne took me on as an intern. 'Arella explained' we were just comparing notes."

Arella could sense Dana's rage was focused solely on her. Apparently the girl thought she was angling to snag Terry. Arella knew full well of the couple's special relationship and would never dream of interfering. So territorial! Arella half expected the girl to pee on him.

"Club 54 tonight?" Dana asked, seizing Terry's arm while shooting Arella a leer that could melt steel.

"Depends on Mister Wayne. I'll have to call you." He said while climbing on his motorcycle.

Arella slipped on behind him. Oh boy, this wasn't going to look good. Sure enough, Dana began to emit deep growling noises. The girl made a mental note to take the bus next time.

"We're just carpooling." He said uncomfortably

"Better be all you're doing." Dana snarled as they sped off.

Later, in the Batcave…

They found Bruce at the cave's massive mainframe computer. His trip to Oslo had been a nice diversion but it was back to business: namely what Giggles was up to. Terry had been patrolling every night that week and hadn't uncovered a thing. The Jokerz he interrogated were either truly oblivious or frightened of what their illustrious leader would do to them. Of course a skilled empath would have probably come in handy but try to tell Mister Wayne that.

"Anything new?" Terry asked

"Nothing. No weapon thefts and the blotter's clear."

"**Perhaps Giggles is aware of our interest and is lying low."** She suggested

"Or he may have found another supplier. Just keep your eyes and ears open."

"Right" Terry nodded while pulling on his mask.

"**I will take the Southside."** Nil volunteered

"You'll take this instead." Bruce said handing the girl an old fashioned wood handled feather duster.

"**But…"**

"Start with the penny."

Even emotionless Nil knew that arguing with Wayne was pointless. Without another word the Spirit Drinker took the duster and walked away to begin her task. On the Brightside, this duster has quite a history. She sensed it had been used by Mister Wayne's life-long friend and sole confidant Alfred Pennyworth.

Terry watched her until she was out of earshot.

"I could really use her out there."

"I'm well aware of that."

"Then why?"

"She's not ready."

"And when will she be?"

"I'll know."

Later…

For this she left Kansas? Instead of learning crime fighting techniques or Judo, she's stuck doing light housework. The prospect of going solo was starting to sound better and better. Sure Arella knew bupkiss about the business beyond Ma's stories but she'd rather be doing something more constructive than this.

While straining inside the full sized T Rex's maw and giving its tonsils a going over with the duster, she watched Bruce at the computer. For the last few hours he had been perusing some military inventory records. Arella could tell from the old man's demeanor that his efforts were going nowhere.

Unfortunately Arella couldn't sense a thing from him. Thanks to a lifetime of mental discipline, Mister Wayne was the uncontested master at shielding his feelings and thoughts. And if she did make the mistake of trying to read him, he would hit her with a nasty "get the hell out of my head" glare.

The old man abruptly logged off from the computer and stood. With Ace following, he made the long arduous trip up the stairway to his mansion. One would have thought with all the cave's wondrous facilities he would have included a bathroom. The pair disappeared through the doorway.

While dusting, her input deprived mind mulled over last week's events…namely the impressions Nil got from Deidre as they hauled Deedee away. The girl's feelings of despair had really touched a nerve and for a Spirit Drinker, that was REALLY saying something.

When Nil reared her stony head for the first time, Ma finally spilled the beans on Arella's father. After so many years of Ma skirting the subject, the girl just assumed he had either run off or got hit by a bus. Much to her surprise, he had been a Spirit Drinker as well. Ma told her about his decades of wandering and eventual washing up in Gotham. Aenoch's feelings of despair mirrored Deidre's in many ways. But unlike Arella's father who found his place in the sun and became a hero, Deidre will end up in jail or dead.

The girl was doomed unless someone stepped in. Once assured that Bruce was gone, she climbed down the rickety ladder. If Deedee had been arrested before, there should be a file in the database. Some research couldn't hurt.

She settled in Bruce's still warm seat. He had granted her security access so hopefully the system should let her in.

"Computer? Arella logging on."

The mainframe's huge screen flickered into life. Apparently all was copasetic.

"Search database for alias Deedee?"

"Working…" The computer droned

Front and profile photos of twin blond girls appeared followed by an in-depth dossier.

Quinzel, Deidre and Delia

alias: Deedee

Their life read like any standard criminal biography. The pair were born to a drug addicted mother and deadbeat father. After their mother abandoned them, the authorities placed the girls with their grandmother. Odd, up to a few months ago their crimes didn't go beyond simple shoplifting and truancy. What changed?

The name Quinzel sounded familiar.

"Computer: search database, last name Quinzel?"

"Working…"

Mug shots of a blond female popped up on the screen

Quinzel, Harley alias Harlequin

This explains it all. Delia and Deidre are the grand daughters of Harlequin, the Joker's sidekick. The twin's increase in crime activity directly coincided with his reemergence during that whole "killer satellite" thing. It stands to reason that with their crappy upbringing, they would follow in their grandmother's self destructive footsteps.

Arella leaned back in Bruce's chair. Although not a criminologist (or any other "ologist" for that matter) she could tell their lives were spiraling into ruin. Even if Bruce refused to let Arella participate, she could still make a difference. This was crime fighting wasn't it?

According to the Juvenile Hall roster, the twins were still being held in lock up. All the other Jokerz arrested that night had made bail except for them.

She could just be opening a big can of worms. But what would Ma have said in a potentially troublesome situation?

"Boo-yah."

Or was that used to cheer a victory. She's always been so glib on that stuff.

Gotham Juvenile Detention, Sub-level Six (female wing)…

"Oh I think I'm going outta my head…Oh yes I think I'm going outta my head…Oh I…" Deidre babbled in the dark

"Learn the rest of that song or shut up." Delia warned

"No, YOU shut up."

"No, you!"

The girls leapt off their cots and wrestled on their cell's cold cement floor. Deidre and Delia were usually quite close (as most twins are) but a week spent in this hole wearing the same nasty clothes and make-up was really starting to chafe.

"You can't sing worth spit." Deidre growled while strangling her sister,

"Least I shave my armpits monkey-girl." Delia choked

The cell door suddenly opened, blinding the twins and diffusing their melee. In the doorway stood the hulking form of the wings warden.

"Delia and Deidre Quinzel: you've made bail."

"Who? 'Deidre asked suspiciously' Nana's broke."

"Don't know and don't care: GET OUT!"

Outside…

The twins walked out of the buildings automated double glass doors and took deep lungfuls of freedom. First things first: they need to find the others and see what's up. Although their thoughts were with their fellow Jokerz, something else plagued them. Namely:

"Who bailed us out? Delia asked' Nana?"

"Said she wouldn't after last time. Besides, she blew all her savings on that case of antique Dingdongs."

"Then who?"

"**I did."** A cold emotionless voice advised

A gray skinned girl dressed all in black emerged from the shadows. A vampire? Of course it may be some kind of pervert too. There are many in Gotham who would like nothing better than to take advantage of two pretty and innocent girls. Best nip this in the bud.

The girls smiled and immediately struck a fighting stance. Hmm, it appears they are being a bit standoffish. Nil wouldn't be getting their attention willingly.

"What do we have here Deedee?" Delia asked

"Looks like Batman's understudy Deedee." Deidre returned

Delia attempted a spin kick at Nil's head but the Spirit Drinker became intangible and her foot harmlessly passed through. The girl spun wildly and fell to the ground.

"**All done?" **Nil asked

Apparently not. Deidre hopped in the air and threw a jump kick at her chest. Nil caught the girl's feet in her hands and shoved, sending Deidre hard to the ground next to her sister. Using conversational lingo, that is considered "breaking the ice".

"**Now may we talk?"**

"Who or what the_ frag_ are you?" Delia asked

"**Nil" **

"What do you want?"

"**A question answered."**

Nil's forest green eyes met the girl's, making the pair nervous.

"**Hungry?"**

Later in Mel's Diner…

During the month leading up to her enrolling in Hamilton, Arella had spent quite of bit of time here. It was just a block from her apartment and made a great place to get the feel for the city and locals. The onion rings weren't bad either.

With Nil quietly looking on, the twins gorged themselves on orders of burgers, fries and shakes. Terry had gone into great detail on how nasty Juvy food is so a couple of burgers had to have been a genuine treat. Besides which, God only knows when was the last time they last had a decent meal.

They cleaned off their plates, even going so far as to pick up the crumbs and licking off the last smears of ketchup. Deuce couldn't have done a better job.

"**Would you like something else?"** Nil asked

They just leaned back in the nook's bench and belched heartily- guess that'd be a no. With the pair content and satiated, there couldn't be a better time to start this ad hoc therapy session.

"**I know how it feels."**

"How what feels?" Delia asked while picking her teeth

"**Living with a legacy."**

"What the frag are you talking about?"

"**Your grandmother Harley Quinzel had been a respected criminal psychologist sent to Arkham to study the Joker. Instead she freed him and became his accomplice and lover."  
**

They smiled with seriously misplaced pride.

"Yeah, so?" They asked in unison

"**The Joker beat, raped and eventually abandoned her, leaving the destitute recluse you live with."**

Their smiles faded a bit.

"Well yeah but…"

"**Is that the life you desire?"**

"The Jokerz are different. We take what we want, hang out…"

"**Murder" **Nil finished

"Lies made up by the cops." Deidre dismissed

But Arella, being the super student she was, had come prepared. She reached inside her back pocket and pulled out a small stack of photos. She placed the stack on the table and spread them out for the twins to see. Immediately the girls gagged. According to the coroners report, the bodies had been in the water for so long only dental records could identify them.

"**These are lies?" **Nil asked

They focused on one picture of a skinny, decomposed corpse still clutching a plastic Jack-O-Lantern trick or treat pail.

"Ghoul?" Delia choked

"**You knew him did you not? Gordon Delgado AKA Ghoul?"**

"But Giggles said he left town." Deidre whispered

"**They all were found in the bay, their throats cut from ear to ear… except for the girls who had been sodomized first. The Joker killed over two hundred people before he died. This Giggles you follow so blindly is no different."**

"We can leave any time we want."

"**The coroner estimated they had been murdered three months ago, right after the Joker disappeared and Giggles took over. Perhaps they wished to leave too?"**

The twins fell silent; hopefully that would be sufficient for now. Nil slipped her cash card into the tables pay slot for the food and slid out of the nook. Deidre's feelings of desperation were becoming palpable. Now came the most important phase of her plan: the olive branch.

"**If you would like an alternative, a place to stay besides your grandmother's…"**

She placed a slip of paper with her phone number on the table by the photos.

"**Call my sister Arella, she can help." **Nil said and walked away

"What the hell are you supposed to be? 'Delia asked' some kind of therapist?"

"**No, just the only one who cares."**

Municipal Flat Block 18-A, Linear North…

Deedee's neighborhood had been officially labeled as "in transition" by the city council. Truth was: the place was a shit hole. Junkies, homeless and general nogoodniks wandered about while cars cruised the garbage strewn streets hunting for cheap company. Yeah it sucked but it was the only place Nana could afford on Welfare.

Any other time Deidre would have taken it all in stride but tonight the streets seemed so much more depressing. Maybe Nil was right and this was all leading to a dead end. Cripes, what was she saying? She was one of the Jokerz! The toughest of the tough. Tomorrow morning they'll meet up with their homies and all will be serene.

The hotel's lobby had seen better days but not in their lifetime. The once proud mural depicting African boatmen hunting Hippos had been defaced with obscene and homosexually themed graffiti. Broken and ruined furniture littered the sticky lobby floor.

Their building's only elevator had broken years ago and its doors were bent inward (presumably in order to free its last passenger). Now the thing had become an ad hoc latrine for the locals.

Stepping over the unconscious drunks, Deidre and Delia began the eighteen flight journey upstairs.

Upstairs…

Delia closed the door and secured the dozen or so locks keeping the local riff-raff at bay.

"Nana? We're home." Deidre called

No answer. They peeked in the living room. The old woman had fallen asleep in her smelly blue Barka Lounger watching her soap operas. She rarely left the chair anymore and only then to use the can or grab more Dingdongs. Probably didn't even know they were gone.

Their room (if you can call it that) was an old storage room off the hallway. Two cots and a cracked lamp on a wooden shipping crate were the rooms only furnishings and those they found in the garbage.

Delia tore off her hat and wig, allowing her long blond hair to spill out.

"Good to be home." She sighed contentedly throwing herself on her cot

Deidre stood in the doorway, frozen in place.

"What's with you?" Delia asked

She just remained silent.

"You aren't actually listening to that slag are you? Tomorrow we'll meet with our peeps and…"

"What? Get our throats cut like the others?" Deidre interrupted

"Eh, they probably ratted us out."

"How do you know that? Maybe Nil was right and they just wanted to leave. No one ever died until Joker and Giggles took over."

Looking over their poor excuse for a room, a rather plump rat skittered by her feet. Deidre reached in her white shorts pocket and pulled out the slip of paper with Arella's phone number. God just one night away from this crap!

"You've gotta be kidding." Delia moaned

Downtown…

Like a gray skinned Scud missile, Nil closed in on her apartment window. She pressed a button on her belt and the window slid open. Some jury rigging and an automatic garage door opener made this a reality. The tricky part will be her wings as they were too wide to fit in the pane.

A split second before her wings hit, she willed them to dissolve. Nil's momentum slung her through the window and onto her bed. Well heck! It actually worked. Not exactly the Batcave's landing strip but it would do.

An overjoyed Deuce pranced up to greet her. Nil swapped places with Arella and slid off the bed to intercept the Rottweiler pup.

"How's the baby?" She cooed while giving the dog a hearty hug and smooch.

Arella spied two wet spots and a pile on the papers she laid out in the kitchenette.

"And you did your business on the paper too. Aren't we the clever little puppy?"

The dog agreed: indeed it was very clever. She stood and made her way to the kitchenette.

"So, what sounds good? 'She asked aloud' Chinese or Pizza?

Deuce cocked her head.

"Don't give me that look squirt. You're getting Kibble."

The pup hunched down on her front paws, lifted her rump and presently began to growl. Apparently Deuce was lodging a formal protest.

"Oh? Looking to rebel are we?"

Arella hunkered down on all fours and faced the dog. The pup pounced her and they rolled around on the floor.

"We'll just see who puts the Puppy Chow on the table." She giggled

They came to a halt with Deuce on top and slathering her face with sloppy licks.

"Ah! 'She squealed' Killer puppy."

Pups are small potatoes but this time next year the mutt will probably able to body slam her.

"Okay you win but you're still getting Kibble."

The phone in Arella's pocket vibrated.

"If it's the neighbors, you'll have to explain." She laughed while pulling out the phone and flipping open the cover.

Deidre appeared on the screen. Even from miles away Arella could feel the girl's desperation. She immediately sat up, rolling Deuce onto her lap.

"Is Nil there?" Deidre asked

"No, but she filled me in."

"Was she serious?"

"If you are."

Obviously the girl wasn't used to asking for help but Arella got the message loud and clear.

"Know where the Imperial Arms Hotel is?"

Later…

With a confused Deuce looking on, Arella hurried about straightening the place. Of course her efforts might seem a bit silly considering the rat holes Deidre usually frequented but her ultimate goal was to get Delia to quit too so the more inviting the better.

"Now you're to be on your best behavior 'She warned the pup while smoothing out the bedspread' so no peeing or pooping outside the allowed areas. Capuche?"

There was a light, nearly inaudible knock on the door. As Arella trotted over to open it, Deuce began to growl.

"Hush" She whispered as she opened the door

Deidre, still in her Deedee costume, stood before her. Her clown make up was crumbling, revealing the girl underneath. It was easy to forget how truly human these Jokerz were.

"Come in?" She asked, standing aside

The girl silently looked the place over. She sat on the bed and patted it with her hand. So THIS is what a real bed feels like.

"Hungry? I've got some cold pizza. 'Arella said opening the kitchenettes small refrigerator and pulling out the greasy pizza box' Unless Chinese sounds…."

The girl was curled up on the bed and fast asleep. Sitting by the bedside, Deuce watched the bed-usurping intruder curiously.

"Well heck."

As Arella took a quilt from the closet, Deuce gave her a disgruntled look. Now where in the hell were they supposed to sleep?

"Squirt? 'Arella whispered while gently covering Deidre with the quilt' in this business, one has to be ready to make sacrifices."

They would have to make do with the armchair.

Outside…

Batman stood on the ledge of a nearby building and watched the drama ensue. He had tailed the girl all they way from her Grandmothers apartment. But of all places, Terry hadn't the slightest inkling she would end up here. He knew Arella was odd (research of her unique parentage proved that point) but this is just goddamn insane. She didn't know Deedee like he did.

Bruce wasn't going to like this, not one bit.

That next morning at school…

An half asleep and sore Arella rummaged through her locker. God that chair had all the give of a concrete abutment- the same could be said for Deuce too. She made a mental note to go price shopping for a cot and doggie bed.

She grabbed her laptop and turned to find Terry's harried face not an inch from hers. How was he able to get this close without her sensing it? She REALLY must be burned out.

"Are you nuts?" Terry gasped

"Pardon?"

"Letting Deedee stay with you. Are you crazy?"

Crap, she should've known this was going to happen. He probably had been following them all night.

"First of all, her name is Deidre. Second…"

"She's insane." He finished

"Just trapped Terry. I'm giving her an alternative."

"You weren't there when she blew up Wayne Tech's yacht and did billions of dollars worth in property damage. She even assaulted Mister Wayne. How do you think he's going to react when he finds out about this?"

"I have an opportunity to help her go straight and I'm obligated to take it. Isn't that we do?"

He fell silent.

"Please Terry. You need to trust me."

"It's not me you should be worried about."

That evening, in the Batcave…

She came clean on her dealings with Deedee. Instead of flipping his wig like Terry figured, the old man remained rather mellow.

"This morning?" Bruce asked

"Gone. But the invitation was open ended. She'll be back."

"And Nil?"

"As of now she's my sister. They're buying it."

"We could put a tracer on her, lead us to Giggles." Terry suggested

"I'm trying to get her to quit the Jokerz Terry. And if Giggles finds it, Deedee's as good as dead."

"Deidre wouldn't leave, not and leave her sister alone." Bruce nodded

"I'm hoping to get Delia to quit too."

"Results so far?"

"Promising."

The cave fell silent as Mister Wayne considered the evidence and possible penalties therein.

"Your invitation stands and Nil remains your sister."

"And the tracer?"

"Too risky…shadow her instead."

"Thank you." Arella sighed with relief and trotted off with her rags and spray bottle to begin on the display cases.

"This can't end well." Terry sighed

"I trust Nil's instincts. If she feels them to be worth reclaiming, so be it. There is more to crime fighting than punching and kicking, Terry."

Monday morning…

Arella stepped under the shower and cringed from the cold. Bruce's display cases took twice as long as she figured and there was just enough time to run home, grab a shower and make it to school. Luckily she had the forethought to do her homework on Friday. She can certainly see why Terry looks so harried all the time.

Over the roar of the shower she heard Deuce barking. Figures: always when she's shampooing. She stuck her head under the spray and rinsed out the soap. Jumping out of the stall, Arella wrapped a towel around herself and trotted out of the bathroom.

Deidre in full Deedee make up and costume was sitting on the bed and watching her. Arella's first instinct was to get upset at her intrusion but quickly let it go. Part of her was just happy to see Deidre again.

"Where's your sister?" Arella asked

"Still at Nana's."

"She's welcome here too."

"You kiddin'? She's got the whole room to herself now."

"Good point."

Arella checked her watch. Crap! The girl tossed away the towel and pulled on her clothes. No time for modesty; she was already late.

"What exactly is your take from this?" Deidre asked

"Nothing. 'She explained while pulling on her skirt' what my sister says goes. But you probably knew that already; she said your first meeting was a bit, um, confrontational."

"Oh yeah" She said, rubbing her still bruised fanny

While changing, Arella carefully scanned her. Deidre's standoffishness was replaced by confusion and uncertainty. She grabbed a hairbrush from the dresser and hastily ran it through her tangled wet hair, tearing most of it out in the process.

Arella grabbed her laptop and made for the door.

"Okay, there's milk and cold pizza in the fridge so help yourself."

"And what makes you think I won't invite the others and tear the place apart?" She asked smugly

Arella sensed the inquiry wasn't so much a question but a test.

"You wouldn't. I-we trust you."

She could practically hear Deidre's jaw hit the ground. No one had ever invested trust in her before, especially after she and her compatriots nearly leveled the city. Now for the coup de grace. Arella took a key from the dresser top and tossed it to the girl.

"What's this?" Deidre asked

"Room key."

"But…"

"The invitation stands. Like I said… 'Arella whispered while closing the door behind her' what my sister says, goes."

What struck Deidre the girl most about Arellas apartment was the silence. Unlike Nana's hovel whose paper thin walls allowed an orchestra of crying babies and neighbor's arguments in, this place sported concrete ones.

While sitting on the bedside and pulling off her red boots, Deuce sat and watched.

"What? Never seen someone take off their boots before? Beat it."

Instead, the pup grabbed the toe of the boots in its mouth. Deidre tried to pull them loose.

"Hey! I had to hide in the store's bathroom for hours to steal those. Leggo!"

But her attempts to free her boots and admonishing just encouraged the animal. It began to growl and pull harder.

"Let…GO!" She yanked the boots loose from the dog's eager gob, throwing her back onto the bed. Great, now there were little teeth marks on the toes. The girl glared angrily at the animal. It just looked up at her and smiled happily.

Deidre paused. What was this tingly yet not at all uncomfortable feeling coming over her? It's just a dog for Christ sakes- Old Town was full of them. Whatever, this whole thing was just frigging weird.

Learning her lesson the first time, she carefully pulled off her other boot out of the dog's reach and laid them on the bed.

"Better luck next time." She yawned and stretched out on the bed.

A pair of paws grabbed hold of the bedside and then promptly slipped off, followed by a thump. The dog wanted on the bed something fierce but was too tiny to make it. Deidre might have helped the little bugger but no way was she going to deal with that thing's sloppy tongue (it took her hours to put the make up on right).

"Stay down."

Another slip and thud

"No" She reiterated

The dog began whining plaintively.

"I said no."

She heard the dog sigh sadly and pad away. Maybe the mutt finally got the hint? Apparently not. After a second or so, Deidre heard the distinctive squeaking of the rooms lounge chair. The bed then shook violently as Deuce leapt onto the bed from the chair.

"Rats." She sighed as an eager tongue began lapping her face.

Deidre pushed the dog away, now sporting a clown white muzzle. Weird, that odd tingly feeling was becoming stronger. Were those Goosebumps erupting on her bare legs? Instead of being angry, she could just smile.

"So, wanna be one of the Jokerz too eh?"

The dog laid her chin on Deidre's bare belly and dozed. Well, maybe she could let it stick around a little while.

A few hours later…

Delia silently sashayed down the hotel hallway, trying random doors as she went. So this is where her sister had been spending her free time- not bad. Although compared to Nana's pad, an open cesspool would be preferable.

"Six seventy two, six seventy three…" She muttered to herself

Here we are: six seventy five. Delia reached in the waistband of her white shorts and pulled out a skeleton keycard. She slipped it in the doors key slot and it obediently slid open.

"Frag me" She gasped

Deidre Quinzel: enemy of Batman, authority and one half of the super criminal team Deedee was sound asleep with a Rottweiler pup on her chest. Man if the others could only see her now. She looked like an advertisement for Puppy Chow.

"Well, well, well: aint that precious." Delia cooed

Deidre awoke to find her seriously amused sister standing over her. She immediately pushed the dog off to the side and sat up.

"Some partner I got: taken in by a pooch."

"S-snuck up on me." Deidre explained uncomfortably

"Uh huh. Just be thankful I didn't bring a camera."

While examining the apartment, Delia's larcenous gaze focused on Arella's television.

"Tried to call you."

"Turned my phone off. What's up?" Deidre yawned

"Big meeting at Giggle's tonight." She explained while pulling the television away from the wall and peeking behind

Delia took the television in her hands and attempted to lift it off its hook. Geez these older models are heavy.

"What're you doing?"

"What does it look like? 'Delia grunted' kiping a television. Oughtta be good for a few creds."

Deidre's eyes met Deuce's. The puppy looked overwhelmingly saddened at her twin sister's actions. And like a cop hiding behind the corner, the tingly feeling returned. God, could it be GUILT? It was either that or she was having a stroke.

"I can't believe I'm saying this…leave it."

"Hmm?" Delia grunted

"Leave it."

Delia turned and faced her sister, a profound look of shock on her face.

"You've never paid for anything in your life. Why're you stressing over a lousy television?"

"Dunno. But I can't let you take it."

She turned her attentions back to the television.

"You'll feel better with a few creds in your pocket." She dismissed

Deidre pulled her away from the set.

"What's wrong with you?" Delia gasped

That was a good question actually. Up to today it was dog-eat-dog in Deedee's world. But stealing from someone who had shown so much trust in her didn't feel, what was that word? Right?

"That twip has finally gotten to you…you've flipped."

"Maybe. But I can't let you take it."

Unwilling to give in to her sister's unfortunate (and hopefully temporary) psychosis, Delia turned back to the television and frantically tried to wrench it from the wall. Deidre grabbed her sister by the waist and tossed her on the bed wherein Deuce proceeded to give her one of its patented tongue facials.

"God…PWAH!" Delia gagged while pushing the dog away.

Deidre, with arms crossed, stood in front of the television with a stern look on her tongue smudged face.

"You're gonna have to get through me."

"FINE!"

And once again the twins threw themselves at each other and rolled around on the floor, sending white hats and orange wigs flying. So THIS is what crime fighting feels like. Deidre could kinda see why Batman stays in the business.

Deidre pinned her sister to the apartment's carpeted floor.

"Say uncle"

"Never."

She hocked and a large viscous and snot-laden loogie slithered out of her mouth and execrably oozed down towards her sister's panicking face.

"Uncle!" Delia bawled

That night, Old Town

The water treatment plant's empty main cistern was packed with teens in clown white and colorful costumes. One might have thought it was a circus rather than a gang meeting if not for their clubs and knives.

Unbeknownst to the public at large, the Jokerz gang numbered in the thousands. Instead of one large group the Jokerz comprised of numerous satellite chapters of varying sizes scattered throughout the city. So not surprisingly, when Giggles sent out the call for all the members to gather, it was quite a sight to behold. Even more spectacular was what Giggles would have done to any who decided not to attend.

In the center of the multitude, sitting on his throne of cobbled together sheet metal, lounged a four hundred pound, seven foot tall clown dressed in a filthy orange and yellow clown suit. His bald flabby head was slathered in flaking white clown make up save for a broad red smile around his mouth.

Flanking him stood a handful of goons in black dyed clown suits, old Policemen hats and clown noses. These thugs were Giggle's personal guard. They rarely spoke and followed his orders without question. In many ways, these guys spooked the others more than Giggles himself.

"We all here yet Jojo?" Giggles asked

A small, skinny boy dressed in a sailor suit nervously stepped forward.

"No mister Giggles sir. There are some more on the way from the docks: eta ten minutes."

"Bother" He sighed sadly

His sunken yellow eyes scanned the group, making them all step back. Bad things tended to happen when Giggles got bored: the floor's dried bloodstains attested to that. He focused on Delia and Deidre.

"Oh Deedee?" He called

The crowd obediently parted, revealing the twins.

"Come here darlin'."

They pasted on their best smiles and approached the giant. Giggles lunged forward, scooped Deidre and Delia up in his thick arms and sat back in the throne. He cuddled the twins to his filthy, food encrusted chest like rag dolls. The twins held their breaths to keep from gagging.

"Always dug you two." He chortled while pecking each of the girls on the forehead

Delia knew the only way to survive this was to play along otherwise they might "leave town" like the others. She rubbed her hands on the giant's thick flabby shoulders

"Ditto Giggles." Delia managed with a smile

He turned to Deidre

"And you?" He asked

The girl just froze. He smiled wide, revealing a mouthful of jewel encrusted teeth.

"Do you dig me too?"

The girl's mouth just flopped open and closed like a dying carp. As she struggled to speak, his filthy hand found her white shorts clad buttocks.

"Nothing to say?"

"Oh she digs you Giggles. Don't you Deedee?" Delia volunteered nervously

His hand squeezed inside the back of Deidre's shorts, making her squirm.

"Cat got your tongue?"

Thick fingers forced in between her buttocks. The girl bit her lip to keep from screaming.

"Do you dig me?"

"I…I" She managed

He shoved two of his thick fingers inside her rectum, tearing it apart. Tears began pouring down her red and white painted cheeks.

"I DIG YOU!" Deidre screamed

The fingers retreated.

"That's better."

Jojo stepped forward.

"They're all here Mister Giggles sir."

"Excellent."

He dropped the girls to the cement floor and stood. As he walked away Delia comforted her quivering sister.

"You okay?"

"I'm bleeding." She whimpered

Jojo held an old fashioned microphone up to the giants mouth as he faced the multitude.

"Welcome my little Jokerz…welcome to the greatest show on earth!"

The multitude cheered and chanted his name.

"Its nearly time my little Jokerz: time to throw the king of carnivals and biggest of bashes."

He turned to the boy.

"Jojo? Would you mind bringing the party favors?"

The boy sat down the microphone and toddled away.

"Yes boys and girls YOU are to be part of history. What you do tomorrow will forever bring a smile to the face of Gotham…OUR smile."

Jojo rolled an ancient squeaky tea trolley to the giant. On the tray of the trolley sat a battered cardboard box.

"And where will our party be held you ask?" He asked aloud

He took the carton in his gloved hands and to a chorus of oohs and ahhs, lifted it off the trolley. Underneath was a tall layered cake in the shape of a skyscraper. On its cracked and moldy surface, written in blood red icing, were the letters GPD. Standing on the top of the cake was an ancient business suited Barbie doll sporting bleached hair and doodled glasses.

"The Gotham Police Headquarters: home to hundreds of naughty cops, their communication system and more importantly…"

He took the Barbie Doll off the top of the cake and held it out for all to see.

"One Commissioner Barbara Gordon."

Pulling out a lighter, he lit a fuse sticking out the side of the cake and stepped back.

"With your noisemakers, tomorrow night we will surround the building and…"

The cake exploded, spraying the crowd with crumbled icing and stale sponge.

"Leaving hundreds of very dead cops and…"

He stuck the Barbie Dolls head in his mouth and with one chomp of his jeweled teeth, chewed it off. He turned to the crowd and spat it out.

"One REALLY dead commissioner."

Instead of thunderous applause, the crowd remained moot. This was a bit more than they were expecting. Theft and vandalism were more their credo. But terrorism? That was a wee too ambitious for a bunch of kids.

"Excuse me mister Giggles sir?" Jojo asked uncomfortably

He looked down on the small sailor suited boy.

"Yes? What is it Jojo." Giggles asked with a wide smile

"Is this a really good idea? I mean the place is so big and…"

Giggles could see the others nodding in agreement. He laid his bloodied hand on the boy's bony shoulder.

The boy had wandered in here a few months ago, right after the Joker disappeared and Giggles took over. They took the waif under their collective wings and made him their own. Oh how the girls doted and fussed over him. The kid was nameless so they dubbed him Jojo, in honor of their founder and namesake. He had in essence become their ad hoc mascot.

"So many of us could get hurt. And…"

_SLINK_

The boys head came off as easily as a puff off a dandelion.

"How I dislike naysayers." Giggle sighed sadly while shoving the long blade back up into his sleeve.

The girls in the crowd stifled screams and cries while the males froze at the horrific sight. Oblivious, Giggles just walked away, obediently followed by his guards.

"Deedee? Be a dear and clean this up please?"

In the Batcave…

The secret to using a floor buffer was to hold the scrubber's pad flat on the ground otherwise one can get a hernia from trying to control the thing. And considering Arella was buffing the Batmobile's suspended parapet, one second of lost control and it was splat.

Hard to admit but Arella was getting pretty good at this. If crime fighting didn't work out, she could always be a professional housekeeper. And her work at Wayne Manor and in the Batcave would look great on a resume. She wondered if Mister Wayne would be willing to give his endorsement.

As she concocted slogans for her new housekeeping business, her phone vibrated. She switched off the buffer and pulled it out of her back jean pocket.

"Arella's housekeeping: you slop 'em, we mop 'em."

Deidre's gore-splattered face appeared on the phone's small view screen. Arella cupped her hand around the phone speaker.

"What's wrong?" She whispered

"Is Nil there?"

That next morning…

The streets around the Gotham Police Headquarters were deserted, the only movement being from the returning police hover cars and a few loitering white and black armored officers stealing a minute to smoke. It was shift change and the morning watch was being briefed, leaving a bit of a gap in their coverage: perfect time for an ambush.

From the gloom, emerged an old woman in a silver hair wig and long black dress pushing a squeaky black baby carriage. The perimeter scanners gave her a quick look-see but found nothing. Of course it being still rather dark, neither the guards nor their sensors could have seen the girl's face of clown make up

The girl shoved the carriage's blue blanket off to the side, uncovering a sophisticated heat sensing scanner. On the scanner's view screen appeared a side-view schematic of the Gotham Police HQ building. Small white lights blinked throughout the structures hundred floors. Just as Giggles planned, most of them were gathered in the thirtieth floor for the daily briefing.

"Just four outside but thirty in the lobby and another two hundred on the thirtieth floor." The girl whispered

"_The commissioner?" _Giggles asked over the spies' ear piece

She pressed a button on the scanners control pad, switching the floor plan to an over head view of the building's top level. In the center of the diagram blinked a single flashing dot.

"Yeah and she's alone."

"_Excellent. The time is now boys and girls."_

From the dark surrounding the tower, shadows emerged and gathered, becoming a mob of hundreds. Leading the pack were members toting cameras. Aside from watching the festivities back in Old Town, Giggles also intended to sell the footage to the news services afterwards.

"_Take down all you can. 'Giggles ordered' your main objective is the briefing room and top floor. Remember: I want Gordon alive, we're going to make an example of her._

"What the frag?" A smoking policeman cursed

"_Kill them!_ 'Giggles roared' _KILL THEM ALL!"_

The army of clowns roared and converged on the building. They fired blindly at the fleeing guards diving inside the lobby's automatic doors

"Crap they went inside!" One cursed

"_Stop them before they hit the alarm."_

The roaring mob tore down the complex's front sliding glass doors and forced their way inside. Hooting and hollering, they rampaged into the building's main lobby… and promptly froze.

The place was empty save for small flashing glass cylinders the size of toilet paper tubes scattered about the floor. More of the devices sat on the lobby's receiving desk. One of the invaders took a cylinder off the floor. It felt warm to the touch.

They all fell silent.

_"What the hell's going on?"_ Giggles asked

"No one here." One of their cameramen whispered

"_What?"_

"No one here but these small lights."

"_Show me."_

She focused the camera on one the small devices sitting on the floor.

"_It's a trap! Get out of there!"_

They immediately turned tail and frantically stampeded back out of the lobby's ruined front doors. Just as they stepped outside, bright floodlights from all directions snapped on and focused on them. Silhouetted against the bright stood an army of armored officers, their weapons at the ready. Above their heads, circling the building like a pack of sharks hovered a flotilla of police cars. It looked like all the cops in the state had gathered to take them down.

An older woman in glasses and trench coat produced a bullhorn and stepped forward.

"Jokerz: lay down your weapons, you are surrounded." Commissioner Gordon demanded

The clowns tried to steady their weapons in their sweating and quaking hands. It didn't take a Spirit Drinker to see they were more than a bit scared.

"No one wants this. 'The old woman calmly assured' Lay down your weapons and you will not be harmed."

"_Take them down!"_ Giggles roared

Easy for their illustrious leader to say: he wasn't the one with a gun to his head.

"You're outnumbered. Avoid a massacre…drop your weapons."

The standoff seemed to stretch forever. Finally one of the Jokerz in the front of the mob dropped his assault rifle to the ground and raised his hands. The others followed his lead and surrendered as well.

_"Fight you cowards!" _Giggles cursed

"Frag you Giggles." A teen being handcuffed sighed

Above…

Nil and Batman watched as the multitude were being searched and herded inside.

"_That was one helluva tip Bruce. I owe you guys big._" Commissioner Gordon whisperedover their radios

"Are you going to have enough room for them all?" Mister Wayne asked

"_We'll clean out the broom closets if need be. A night of them crammed in together and we'll have their boss' whereabouts by morning"_

Nil knew the commissioner's hopes were in vain. The fear Giggles instilled in these kids would preclude any of them from ratting him out. They were more afraid of their leader's reprisals than a stay in Juvenile Hall.

"I was wrong about Deidre- I'm sorry." Batman whispered

If Giggles finds out who turned them in, he wouldn't be the only one.

Next morning, at Arella's apartment…

Deidre couldn't help but smile.

It was all over the news: Giggles days were numbered. With all the Jokerz in custody, it was just a matter of time before one of them spilled the beans and took that creep down. And then? Hopefully things will go back to some state of normalcy. She longed for the good old days when they would just hang out, snatch purses and deface public buildings.

A smiling Deuce pranced up to greet her. She squatted and scooped the pup from the floor. Had the dog put on a couple of pounds since last time? Deidre scratched the pup behind the ear, making its leg kick.

This place had become a second home to her, a sanctuary from the scummy dreariness of the street. And to be honest, she had come to enjoy the company. Arella just didn't seem to give a frag on what she was or whom she ran around with.

With Deuce eagerly looking on, she pulled off her boots.

"Oughtta get you your own pair."

She stretched out on the bed and once again the pup tried to climb up. But this time Deidre strained over the side and helped the dog up.

"Now don't ever say I never did anything for you."

A knock on the door made her jump. Delia? But she never knocks. Deidre slipped off the bed and carefully snuck up to the door. Deuce began to growl.

"Who is it?" She asked

"Pizza Guy"

"Who?"

"Pizza Guy…got your pizza."

Deidre peeked out through the door's peephole. A young man in a distinctive neon green Pizza Guy T Shirt stood outside holding a pizza box.

"Open it" She demanded

"Sure." The delivery boy smiled, opening the pizza box.

Sitting inside was Delia's blood stained white hat and wig.

"Oh cra…"

The door exploded off its hinges and into her face, sending both crashing to the carpeted floor. A stunned Deidre lay in the dark, blood from her shattered nose pouring down her cheeks.

Suddenly the door was kicked away.

"No"

Around her loomed Giggle's personal guard. Deuce barked at the intruders but the pup's yapping meant little.

"The boss wants a word with you."

"Frag you" She spat through a face of blood

"Giggles thought you might say that." He said reaching inside his baggy pants pocket and tossing a handful of small white pebbles onto her chest.

They weren't pebbles, they were teeth.

"Your sister loses another one every ten minutes we take to bring you in.

"You son of a...." Deidre sneered, forcing herself up to her feet

Her curse was cut short with a taser baton jabbed in her bare stomach, the charge sending her across the room, sliding over the bed and hard to the floor. They dragged Deidre from behind the bed and taped her ankles and wrists. She desperately tried to struggle but her spasming body wouldn't cooperate.

"N-no…" She managed

One responded with a kick to the head, knocking her unconscious.

As they hauled Deidre's limp form out the door, Deuce growled and chomped one on the leg taking a mouthful of his baggy black pants

"Stupid mutt." He cursed, kicking the dog away

Later…

They dumped Deidre face first on the cistern's filthy steel floor. Before her, barely conscious lay what remained of her sister. Her face was nearly unrecognizable from the beating she took. Her bare legs and belly were covered in taser burns, slashes and bruises. God only knows what they did to her to find out where Deidre was. Delia's swollen and tearing eyes met hers.

In his throne sat Giggles, watching over them with a sick demented grin.

"You bastard." Deidre cursed

He stood, casually stepped over Delia broken body and squatted down to Deidre's level.

"Party pooper. 'He playfully scolded while shaking his finger at her' ruining my surprise."

"W-we didn't…"

"You didn't? 'He gasped worriedly' You mean all the horrible things we did to your sister was all a silly mistake? Bother."

He smiled wider.

"Wanna know why I killed Ghoul? I had him working on a special project for me, something hush-hush. Clever fellow Ghoul: a veritable genius with a pair of pliers and duct tape or in this case, cameras. Allow me to demonstrate." He said gesturing to one of his guards

Two of his goons lugged in a battered, old fashioned cabinet styled television set and carefully placed it on the floor in front of her. He produced a television remote and pressed a button. The girl's heart immediately sank.

On the flickering screen rolled footage of the twins hauling Jojo's body out of Giggle's throne room. The camera switched to another view of the pair dropping the boy's remains down the reservoir sluice. Afterwards, Deidre slumped to the floor, staring at her bloodied hands.

"_I can't take this anymore."_ Deidre whimpered

"_We can't quit, we'll end up like the others."_

After taking a quick look around to be sure they weren't being watched, she pulled out her phone. As Deidre entered Arella's number, her sister watched from over her shoulder.

_"What can she do?"_ Delia whispered

_"Stop this thing from going down tomorrow and turn his fat ass in."_

Giggles switched off the television. The girl knew she and her sister were doomed. Would nana even notice? Eh, the old bat didn't care…no one did.

"You shouldn't have killed Jojo you sick bastard." Deidre spat

"Sick? 'Giggles laughed' You think THAT was sick?"

He pressed his face into Deidre's. So close, his rancid breath choked her.

"That was nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you."

He stood and stepped over to Delia.

"So what do you guys think boys? 'He asked aloud' Columbian necktie? Drawing and quartering? Atomic Wedgie?"

As he stood over her sister's broken body, the long blood-stained blade slid out of his sleeve.

"No, please." Deidre begged

With Giggle's eyes never leaving Deidre's, he squatted by Delia and began running the tip of his blade up the length of her body, slicing open skin as it went.

"Hmm, maybe I should start with her smooth silky legs, or belly. Or how about her pretty head?" He asked as his blade split Delia's cheek.

A devilish smile crept over his face. He rolled Delia over onto her belly with his foot.

"She didn't have anything to do with this." Deidre begged

He grabbed the waistband of Delia's shorts and began cutting them off. Even beaten to within an inch of her life Delia found the strength to struggle.

"Boys?"

His guards each took an arm and leg and held them to the ground. With a yank Giggles tore off Delia's white shorts. The others took an eyeful.

"Don't worry boys, you'll all get a taste. 'he assured them' Who ever said this business didn't have fringe benefits?"

As Giggles tore open the Velcro fly of his baggy orange pants, he looked into Deidre's eyes.

"Watch closely dear. 'he advised' You'll be getting this and much, much more."

And unfortunately for Deidre, Giggles kept his word.

That afternoon…

Arella knew something was wrong the second she stepped off the elevator. She dropped her laptop and sprinted down the hallway to her apartment. Arriving on the scene, her heart sank. Something horrible happened here…the worst possible thing imaginable.

Her liberated apartment door lay on the floor, a spatter of dried blood on the front. The place was dead silent save for Deuce's pained cry coming from under the bed. Arella fell to her knees and looked underneath. The pup was huddled in the dark and shaking.

"It's okay. 'She whispered, reaching out to the animal' I'm here."

It gingerly limped out of its hiding space and snuggled into her arms.

"What happened?" She asked

She laid her hand on the pups head and opened her senses.

From the dog's point of view Arella witnessed tall dark forms march into her apartment and drag the girl away. Even hopelessly out numbered the dog tried to save her but got a kick in the ribs instead.

Carefully hugging the pup to her chest, Arella pulled out her phone. She was tempted to call the police but new damn well there was little they could do. Instead she pressed Mister Wayne's number on speed dial.

"Pick up." She whimpered as tears welled in her eyes.

A groggy and unkempt Bruce Wayne appeared on the small phone's screen. She must have woke him up.

"Yes?"

"T-they're going to kill her, they…" She babbled

"What? Calm down."

"Deidre, they took Deidre."

His face turned stern.

"When?"

"I don't know. Giggles must've found out she…"

"I'll notify Commissioner Gordon and Terry."

"What can I do?"

"Stay there."

"You know I can't do that Grandpa, not this time."

The old man looked thoughtful.

"Suit up and patrol Old Town. But if you find anything, anything at all, you notify me first."

Arella switched off her phone and placed Deuce on the bed were it began to whimper. Like her, the dog feared the worst.

"I know hon, I know." The girl said as she changed

Later…

As she silently cruised over the broken down hovels, Nil opened her mind and scanned. Luckily Old Town was condemned thus sparsely populated save for some vagrants, druggies and an army of vermin. She was familiar with Deidre and Delia and should be able to sense the girls easily.

Nil concentrated harder and increased her scan range.

"No…." A weak mind whimpered

It was coming from a block ahead. Nil pulled her ebony bat wings back and dove down to the street. Yes Bruce said to call in first but God only knows how long it would have taken for help to arrive.

Nil set down on the ruined asphalt and allowed her wings to dissolve with a puff. She paused and opened her mind again.

"No…"

She sprinted down a garbage strewn alleyway to her left.

In a puddle of gore, lay the violated and mutilated bodies of Deidre and her sister. They had been tied together face to face.

Nil willed Blacklights to hiss out of her thumb and solidify into a curved knife blade. She carefully cut through the ropes and the twins fell apart.

Delia's throat had been sliced through to the spine, nearly severing her head. But Deidre's had been only slit, allowing the girl to slowly bleed to death while watching over the dead body of her sister.

"**Deidre"** She whispered, tearing off her black shirt and holding it to the girls oozing throat.

The Spirit Drinker could feel the girl's mind slipping away. She took Deidre's cold hand and squeezed it.

"_Alone…let me go."_ The girl's dying mind whispered

By nature, Spirit Drinkers felt nothing. What little they do feel comes from the small slivers of human inside them and only then under specific circumstances. The horrific things Nil saw made Arella's feelings for Deidre come to the surface.

"**You were never alone."** Nil assured

Carefully tying her blood saturated shirt lightly around Deidre's neck wound, Nil gingerly picked the girl up off the blood covered alley floor. Her cold and pale body fell limp in her arms.

The black bat wings sprouted from Nils back and with a running start they flew off.

During her years of Batman research, the girl had committed Gotham's layout to memory. Nil knew the nearest emergency room was on the cities south side, a good twenty blocks away. To make it in time she would need to modify things. Nil's bat wings became thicker and longer. From the surface of the wings sprouted clutches of black feathers. Batwings were good for gliding but her bird wings couldn't be matched for speed. She flapped the wings and her speed increased.

"**Hold on**" Nil urged

No reply. The girl's eyes rolled back into her head. No way in hell was she letting her give up.

"**Get angry."** Nil whispered

The Spirit Drinker sent a load of anger into the girl's dying mind. Deidre's thin and blood caked body immediately began to tremble with rage.

"**You give up and Giggles wins." **

Her pupils returned.

"**Do not let him win Deidre."**

Later, at the Gotham Municipal Hospital Emergency Room…

Nil, topless, covered in gore and toting Deidre's naked and mutilated body burst in the Emergency Rooms front doors. Immediately the packed waiting room erupted in gasps and screams.

A nurse converged on the pair and looked under Deidre's makeshift bandage.

"Good Christ…stretcher!" She screamed

Orderlies ran up with a gurney and Nil gently laid Deidre on its thin mattressed surface. Vital scanners and various monitors along its edge immediately activated. A dark skinned female doctor held a stethoscope between her breasts.

"Her heart's seizing. MOVE!"

As they rushed the stretcher away, Nil kept pace- her hand never leaving Deidre's.

"I want her blood typed and a stasis chamber ready in five." The doctor barked

"**You will be…okay."** Nil whispered

A vision of a crumbling concrete and steel structure popped in her head. Sitting at its entrance, a vandalized sign out front read: Gotham Municipal Water Treatment Plant Number Six. From inside Nil heard Giggle's psychotic laughter and Delia's screaming.

The vision faded as their hands parted and Deidre disappeared through the emergency room doors.

Later…

Terry and Mister Wayne met Arella in the Emergency Room. Arella now sporting a green scrubs shirt silently gazed out the wards picture window. She had no tears or worry left.

After hours of nothing, the doctor reappeared. The sleeves of her smock were splattered with blood.

"How is she?" Terry asked

"Holding her own. We closed her throat wound and are getting her stabilized before we stitch her up. From this point on it's all up to her. Now would you mind telling me just what in the hell happened? The kid looks like she's been through a goddamn blender."

"Motorcycle accident" He improvised

"Uh huh." She sighed sadly disappearing again through the double doors.

Bruce joined Arella at the window. From what she knew of the old man this was the closest to comforting the girl would ever get. At least ma could be counted on for a hug every couple years or so.

"I never should've tried to help." She whispered

"You gave them hope and saved hundreds. Your father would have been proud."

"Yeah, some superhero I turned out to be." She chuckled while wiping her eyes

The pair fell silent, looking over the night-shrouded cityscape.

"Giggles?" She asked

"The police are following leads…"

Arella was familiar with detective jargon well enough to know they didn't have a thing. In times like this only another monster can find him and whether Bruce liked it or not, it was going to be her. This had become personal.

"She showed me where he is." Arella whispered

"I know."

"I'm going after him."

"I know you are."

He reached over to Arella and in his hand was her father's Shadow Blade handle. For the first time since she met Mister Wayne, his mind opened to her.

_  
"Now you're ready."_

That night…

A pair of armed Jokerz silently kept their vigil outside the Plant's main doors. It was now common knowledge that the place was bugged (what happened to Deedee was proof enough of that) and all kept their mouths shut lest they end up the same way.

A shuffling from the thick dark ahead caught their attention. They readied their weapons.

"Who's there?" One barked

A blue haired and gray skinned girl dressed all in black save for a white bird crest on her chest emerged from the veil. Her hands were hidden behind her.

"**I wish to see Giggles."** She droned

They carefully searched her. Save for a length of leather wrapped pipe she wasn't armed and her hands were handcuffed behind her. The girl obviously wasn't a threat. Why anyone would want to see that freak was beyond them but what did they care?

"She's clean. Call it in."

One produced a radio.

"Um Mister Giggles sir?" The guard asked uncomfortably

"_What?"_

In the background, they could hear girls crying. God this was a nightmare.

"V-visitor for you sir."

"_Visitor? Who?"_

"**Nil"** she volunteered

"Says her name is Nil sir. She isn't armed and is handcuffed."

A moment or two lingered.

"_Send her in."_

The two guards flanked Nil and led her inside.

A distance away…

Hidden in the shadows, Batman silently watched the girl and her escorts disappear inside the concrete hulk.

"I still think this is nuts. No way in hell is she ready for this."

"_The cistern is three levels below the surface and they will see her as less of a threat…"_

"Yeah I got that part. But why her?"

"_Just stick with the plan."_

"Right" Terry sighed

Batman hopped off the roof and silently glided through the dark.

According to the building's architectural blueprints, there was supposedly a network of airshafts that lead down to the main holding tank. The plan was for Nil to infiltrate the complex and make contact with Giggles. Only then was he supposed to reveal himself.

He set down on the roof. The rusted steel grate was right where the plans said it would be. He activated the cowls visor and scanned it for traps: nothing. Either Giggles really must be nuts not to have it wired or he just didn't care. He carefully tore off the grate and promptly gagged. Cripes what a stink.

"For god and country." He sighed to himself and crawled inside.

Inside…

The guards led Nil down a flight of ancient steel steps.

What struck her most about the place was how bare the walls were. According to her research, it was standard Jokerz practice to slather their territory with brightly colored graffiti. Apparently Giggles had warped the gang's behavior to fit his own twisted vision.

The Spirit Drinker could feel scores of frightened eyes following her. The cornered feeling she sensed in Deidre now came from everywhere. No doubt what Giggles did to Deedee was meant to intimidate them into submission otherwise he would have made them disappear like the others.

They reached an open archway leading into the main tank. From inside the chamber an invisible stream of pain and misery assailed Nil. So many suffered and died there. The bad karma was so thick she found it difficult to breathe.

Flanking the archway stood a pair of tall burly guards dressed in black clown suits and toting baton-shaped tasers. She recognized them from the visions she pulled from Deuce.

They coldly eyed the girl. Unlike her quivering escorts, Nil felt nothing from them. Giggles must have brought these goons with him when he usurped control of the gang.

"G-Giggles said to bring her down?" One of her escorts explained

The goons grabbed Nil by the arms, lifted her off the floor and took her inside onto an ancient steel catwalk overlooking the chamber.

The plants empty reservoir tank was three stories tall and hundreds of feet across. In the center of the chamber floor lounged Giggles in his makeshift throne. On the floor by his feet huddled a group of naked girls in dog collars. He was a pedophile? It certainly would explain a lot.

Surrounding the chamber walls stood what remained of the demoralized Jokerz street gang. Save for whimpers from his harem, the place was dead silent. No trademark Jokerz laughter, truly this place had become Giggles kingdom.

They carried her across the catwalk and down another set of steps to the chamber floor. With Nil's appearance the Jokerz feelings of desperation transmuted to curiosity and hope. They were probably hoping for Batman.

The guards brought Nil before Giggles throne and set her on the floor. Immediately a great sadness filled her heart. It was here Delia and Deidre had been victimized and butchered. Along with them, numerous others met their ends as well including a small sailor suited boy. Her tar filled heart began to beat faster…this was all too much.

"Well, well, well. 'He cooed while looking her over' what do we have here?"

"She was carrying this." One of the guards explained handing him her Shadow Blade handle.

"And you brought your own party favors? 'Giggles laughed while examining the leather wrapped cylinder' How thoughtful."

But Nil could only remain silent as she witnessed Delia getting her throat cut. The girl met her end watching Deidre being gang raped. And through all her pain and degradation, she could feel Giggles sadistic joy.

Nearby…

Batman reached the bottom of the shaft and peeked out of the grate. Giggles was looking Nil over. Judging by his obvious arousal, the pervert probably has designs to add her to his underage harem.

"Okay, contact's been made. 'Terry said and made to smash open the grate' Time to take out the trash."

"_Terry: stand down. It's imperative that Nil does it."_

"WHAT?"

"_Only step in if absolutely necessary. Otherwise keep your distance."_

"Have you seen these guys?" He gasped

"_Yes."_

Batman slumped. Did Wayne know something he didn't?

Inside…

Nil bowed her head.

This was all too much for the girl. Wave upon wave of pain and misery assailed her small skinny form. In response, something inside her began to stir. But instead of pushing it back like Ma taught her, Nil brought it forth.

She began to chuckle.

Truly, Nil was her daddy's girl. Nearly all she was came from him save for one thing: her temper. It was the one skeleton Raven passed on to her daughter. But unlike her mother, Nil didn't sprout another set of eyes and tentacles. No, her rage manifested another, darker self...the darker side of her father. Unfortunately Giggles was too enthralled with his potential concubine to notice.

"Hmm, wonder if her bush is the same shade of blue. Harold?"

A guard from his left stepped forward and made to undo her belt. Suddenly the handcuffs fell from Nils intangible wrists and she grabbed his thick hands. The Spirit Drinker raised her head and faced him, her stone gray face now sporting a gaping (and somewhat familiar) toothy smile and blazing red eyes.

"**Fresh!" **Jay giggled

Jay sent the steel toe of her boot into the guard's crotch. As the goon screamed in pain and fell to his knees, the girl stepped back and kicked him in the face with her boot heel, shattering his nose and sending him sprawling to the floor.

Nearby…

"Oh dear God. 'Terry gasped' You knew about this?"

"_Her mother warned me."_

"Ever cross your mind to maybe clue me in?"

"_Would you still have helped her?"_

"Good point."

Inside…

Giggles' guards gawked at the horrific sight before them while his harem screamed and ran for cover.

"What're you standing there for? Kill her!" He ordered

The guards readied their batons and converged on her. But the girl stood her ground. In fact, her smile became wider. She reached out to Giggles and the leather wrapped cylinder flew out of his hands and into hers. Black energies hissed out of the cylinders hollow ends and formed a long ebony bo staff.

Jay jabbed the tip of her staff in a guards gut, doubling him over. She spun and smashed him across the head, knocking him out cold.

A taser was shoved into the bare gray skin of her back. Of course Spirit Drinkers, even psychotic ones, can't feel a thing. She grabbed the guard by the wrist and forced the crackling taser into his crotch.

"**Electicity…E-lect-TRICITY!"** She giggled

She sensed a baton being swung at her head. She became intangible and it passed through and connected with the other's face, breaking it in several places.

"**Where did you get these guys? **'She asked aloud'** My dead grandmother can fight better than this."**

Nearby…

Terry sat back and watched the melee. To actually see the Joker beating up the right people (anyone besides him that is) was a welcome break. The Jokerz around the room stood by watching intently.

"Is this why you sent her ahead?"

"_If you defeat Giggles, he becomes a martyr. But if Nil takes him down…"_

"His power is broken." Terry finished

"_Correct"_

"I hope you're recording this."

"_Better than that."_

Meanwhile, in the Gotham Juvenile Hall dayroom…

The imprisoned Jokerz stood transfixed watching the room's big screen television as a five-foot tall, ninety-eight pound girl tore apart their leader's goons. The amazed silence was quickly replaced by claps and cheers.

Giggle's power was broken…very, VERY broken.

Commissioner Gordon and some officers stood in back of the room and observed their reaction.

"Do you think they'll give a statement now?" An officer asked the Commissioner

"Better start an orderly line."

Back inside…

Jay noticed one of his guards attempting to crawl away. She hopped through the air and landed on his head, crushing his face in the chambers steel floor and creating a pleasing squishing sound.

She turned to face Giggles.

"**You're next tubby."**

But he was gone.

"**He's buggered! So he has he's scarpered."** She said disgusted

She opened her senses. Hmm, Doughboy's trail of panic abruptly disappears behind his throne. Stomping across the unconscious guards as she went, she trotted around the throne to an open sluiceway. Figures the boob would run.

Before following she turned to the shocked Jokerz.

**"Go home: it's a school night."** She giggled and hopped into the hole.

In Old Town's underbelly…

Giggles huffed down the old sewer. The clown white was almost entirely washed away by the sweat pouring from his bald head.

Cripes! His guards got their asses handed to them by a girl. A goddamn GIRL! His best bet was to skip town and regroup. His backers would know what to do. It wouldn't take much to get the Jokerz back in line.

"**Oh tubby? Tubby where are you?" **Jay's joyous voice echoed from the dark around him

"What the hell are you" He panted

"**I'm the beast under your bed, in your closet and in your head..."**

The long blade slid out of his sleeve.

"**A pedophile with a fetish for long cutlery? 'She laughed' Boy would Freud would have a field day with you."**

"Shut up."

"**Making up for manhood problems? Did your classmates laugh over your tiny winky?"**

"SHUT UP!"

"**Is that why you rape and kill children? Or are you just pissed over your inability to put down that Twinkie?"**

"C-come out and I'll show you." He panted

"**Right behind you."**

He spun around and sliced the dark with the blade.

"**Whoops, too slow."**

She tapped him on the shoulder. Giggles spun around again and hit nothing.

"**Love handles getting in your way?"**

Small cold fingers tickled his ribs.

"**Kitchee-coo!"**

He swung the blade but an ice cold hand caught his wrist. Giggles tried to wrench himself loose but the grip grew tighter, making the bones creak.

The girl's eyes glowed red with rage**.** She grabbed the blade and visions of death filled Jay's twisted brain, making her smile wider. With a jerk, she broke the blade off and tossed it away.

"**Who's the victim now?"**

Jay wrenched his forearm, snapping the bone and sending its ragged edge bursting out the skin. Giggles screamed and fell to his knees.

"**How's it feel being helpless?" **

She kicked Giggle's in the mouth, liberating most of his jeweled teeth in a gut of blood and fragments of gum. The giant flew back but Jay kept a grip on his hemorrhaging arm and pulled him back up.

"**Victimized?"** The girl asked kicking him again, tearing loose what remained of his teeth and breaking his jaw again.

"**Broken?"**

Jay caught his nose with her heel, smashing it into dust. This time she released his arm and he fell onto his back. Jay hopped up onto Giggle's chest and looked into his face.

"**Okay tubby, let's play a game called: Name That Terror. Now, can you guess what horrific experience this is?"**

His sunken eyes bulged with fright and he began to scream hysterically. A pool of yellow urine spread from underneath his writhing form.

"**Give up? It's a frog being stuck in a blender set on puree. Cool eh? Feels like you're really there. Now, can you tell me what this is?"**

The giant screamed louder and attempted to crawl away from something unseen.

"**Hazard a guess? It's a mouse being pounced by a cat from Jerry's point of view. And how about this one? Here's something you'll REALLY like."**

Tears poured out of Giggles' eyes as he sobbed in despair. Jay squatted lower until their noses almost touched.

**"That's watching your twin sister being gang raped and getting her throat cut." **She sneered

Jay stood.

"**And if you enjoyed those, how about experiencing them all at once?"**

Giggle's blood curdling screams echoed through the sewer's empty concrete corridors.

"**Over and over again. 'She laughed' One after another, after another…" **

A black gloved hand squeezed her shoulder.

"Okay, that's enough." Batman whispered

"**Just a couple more"** She dismissed

"I said that's enough!"

He tried to drag the girl off Giggles but she became intangible and his hand passed through. She turned to him, her eyes blazing red.

"**With what he's done, it isn't enough...IT NEVER WILL BE!"**

Jay turned back to Giggles and continued her assault. Batman's sensors could feel his already over-burdened heart starting to weaken.

"You're killing him."

"**And your point?"  
**

"I read about your father Arella. He would never allow himself to do this."

Jay paused.

"**The abyss…"** She mumbled

……………………

"_What have you done?" Ma gasped_

_In the corner of the coop, huddled the quite dead corpse of a fox, its face forever frozen in fright. She had scared it to death. Raven grabbed her daughter and spun her around until they were face to face._

"_What have you done?" Ma demanded_

_They had lost many chickens to that pest and as her first crime busting endeavor, Arella swore to catch the thief in the act. But finding it with their best laying hen in its mouth brought out Jay. Instead of scaring it off like the girl had planned, Jay fed it fear until its heart exploded._

"_It was killing our chickens…it deserved to die."_

_She cupped her daughter's cold gray cheeks in her hands._

"_Nothing deserves to die dear."_

"_But…"_

_Tears welled up in her eyes. It was the first time Arella ever saw her mother cry._

"_Don't let yourself fall into the abyss dear. You do and you can never come back."_

.............................

Her words were cryptic to the girl at the time but now she understood. It was murder Ma was referring to. Once Nil or Jay takes a life, hers was over. Never again could she walk in the light like her parents did. It would have been the ultimate insult to her father and his legacy.

Jay's smile faded away, leaving stony faced Nil. As she climbed off Giggles drooling and mumbling form, Terry breathed a sigh of relief.

"You okay?" He asked

Without another word she grabbed Giggles by the collar and silently dragged him away.

Outside…

The Commissioner and the sum total of her police force arrived just in time to witness the disheartened remains of the Jokerz wandering away. No dancing or laughter, their center was broken. Out of the doorway appeared several naked underage girls covered with bruises and wearing dog collars.

"Oh dear God." Gordon moaned

She immediately whipped off her gray overcoat and covered one.

"Get the wagon in here!" She barked

They hustled the girls into a patty wagon. Their youth counselors are going to have their hands full with this bunch.

"What about the others?" An officer asked gesturing to the Jokerz stumbling away into the dark

"Let them go. 'She dismissed while helping the girl into the back of the truck' I doubt they're going to be causing any trouble tonight."

Nil emerged from the plant's front doors, dragging a babbling obese male dressed in a urine-soaked orange and yellow clown suit. The officers readied their weapons but Gordon motioned for them to stand down.

The girl dropped the comatose Giggles at the Commissioners feet and walked away.

"Care to give a statement?" She asked

Nil stopped and turned to her, a nearly unnoticeable grin on her gray stony face.

"**I did not fall in." **

Several days later…

"…and BB refused to either confirm or deny the disturbing allegations. And on the lighter side, Gotham City apparently has a new superhero…"

The camera switched to a reporter interviewing a group of oddly dressed youths standing outside a raucous dance club. Behind them, rowdy partiers waved and hooted at the camera.

"Yeah, _like _w_e _were coming out of _like_ Club 54 and_ like_ this guy waved this _like_ gun at us and_ like_ demanded our money?" A green haired girl explained excitedly

"What happened then?" The reporter asked

"Then this _like _girl with _like _batwings swooped out of the air and _like _totally beat him up."

"Yeah 'another chimed in' beat his head against the wall and tossed him headfirst into a trashcan."

"And what did she look like?" The reporter continued

"She was_ like_ dressed all in _like_ black except for this _like _cool white bird on her shirt? And her skin was _lik_e all gray…like that guy from the Titans. What was his name? Aen…Arn"

"That gray skinned guy." Another girl finished

"And she was hot too. 'A boy laughed' we TOTALLY saw her belly button."

Raven switched off her brand new television and slumped.

"Oh boy" She sighed sadly


	4. Chapter 4

This story belongs to Eric Holingsworth and i am posting it with his expressed permission.

Revelations and Renewals

By Eric H

Deuce rolled over onto her back, allowing the sunbeam from Arella's apartment picture window to shine on her hairless belly. Oh ecstasy! She sighed contentedly.

Being Arella's dog was pretty cushy. Certainly things started out rather rough what with that bald guy basically tossing her and her brothers out like yesterday's trash. But now she had a roof over her head, all the kibble she could eat, plenty of squeaky toys and most importantly: her daily sunbeam. Yes life was swell.

And she knew that when the sunbeam arrived, something else would not be too far behind. Sure enough, the picture window slid open. Deuce rolled back over and hopped off the bed. The dog learned the hard way that when Nil returned in this manner, it's best not be in the vicinity lest be squashed.

A black and blue streak dove through the window and impacted with the bed. Unfortunately Nil had miscalculated her landing again. Instead of coming to a stop, she bounced off the bed, did an impressive (and entirely unintentional) flip and…

THUD!

Nil landed ass-first on the apartment's unyielding floor. Deuce ran to the stunned Spirit Drinker and gave her cold gray face some therapeutic licks.

"**Perhaps I should have opted for the thick shag carpeting?"** Nil sighed

This just wasn't working. Her bed landings were convenient at first but now they were starting to really take a toll. Not only was the bed about to cave in, but her back was starting to protest as well.

She certainly couldn't commute to and from Wayne Manor; the price of cab fare would drain her already hemorrhaging bank account. Perhaps the roof? But the chances of exposure were too great. Odd that Ma never mentioned this when she tried to dissuade her.

Raven threw every obstacle she could to discourage her daughter from traipsing off to Gotham. From the feelings of isolation to the never ending stream of criminals, Ma utilized them all.

And truth be told? She was really starting to see her mother's point. The business wasn't all the fun and glory like she had dreamed. The press tore her apart on a daily basis, she freaked people out instead of eliciting adoration and trying to balance her crime fighting career while keeping up her grades was really starting to stress.

Above it all, there was Deidre. The doctors put her body back together but her mind? That was an entirely different matter. She was now quartered in the Arkham intensive care ward in what the doctors there call a "vegetative state". But after some scans of her own, Nil learned the truth. After the hell Deidre went through, her mind just shorted out. Sure Mister Wayne said she did the right thing by stepping in but seeing Deidre on that respirator makes his words feel so entirely empty.

Well, she was too ensconced in things to give up now. Mister Wayne was counting on her and the school year was almost half way over. Best just let it lie for now.

Nil swapped places with Arella and scratched Deuce behind the ear.

"So? How's the girl." She sighed

The pup responded with some well-placed licks. The dog was growing larger by the day. She was already twice the size and weight of when she was abandoned at Wayne Manor. And with her increased bulk came an even larger tongue. Now it felt like she was being slapped in the face with a Flounder.

"Okay, that'll do." She said hauling herself to her feet.

After wiping the gooey dribble off her face, she spied a package on the floor inside her door's letter slot. The old and faded manila envelope must be pretty old as such environmentally unsound things were outmoded years ago. She took it from the floor and carefully examined it. No address save for the name: _Wayne Industries Legal Department_ and a printed barcode underneath.

Arella sat on the bed and ran her hands on the smooth front of the manila envelope. If there were anything nasty inside, she certainly couldn't sense it.

With Deuce watching intently, she tore open the envelope and dumped the contents out on the bed. Out of the packet fell a computer disk still in its jewel case and a smaller envelope the size of a business card.

On the front of the cd's jewel case was written in black ink:

06-15-24

Hmm, two months before she was born. The girl's curiosity was just about to drive her nuts. She took her school laptop, set it on the bed and opened it. She slipped the disk into the disk drive and the laptops screen switched on. God if this turns out to be porn she's going to be so disappointed.

On the screen appeared an average, ordinary couch sitting in what could only be described as an average, ordinary living room. Odd though, the place seemed darker than usual. And why the candelabras and old leather books scattered about?

The camera shook, as if someone off screen were adjusting it.

"Oh dear God." Arella gasped and covered her mouth.

An older man, with long gray hair appeared. He was dressed all in black and sported a van dyke beard. He sat on the couch and faced the camera.

"Hey hon." He smiled

"Daddy?" She whimpered

The only footage she had seen of her father was the occasional still from his days with the Titans and some snapshots Ma had held onto. Judging by the date and his gray hair, this must have been taken right before he died.

"I've gotta keep it down 'he whispered conspiratorially' your mother is in bed asleep and if I wake her…well let's just say it wouldn't be pretty."

"Will!" A familiar voice barked

"Yeah?" He yelled back

"I'm hungry."

"Okay."

He stood and made to turn off the camera.

"See what I mean?" He sighed

Arella snickered. This was good stuff. She's going to have to show this to Ma.

The footage flipped ahead and Will sat back down.

"That quart of ice cream oughtta keep her quiet for a while. That's you she's making by the way. If the amount of junk food she's downing is any indication, you're going to be huge."

He took a deep breath and got back into character.

"So. I know you're a girl and am guessing your name is either Lucille or Arella. I wanted to name you after my mother and Raven after hers. Tried to give it the good fight but with your mother? Eh who am I kidding?"

Hmm, would Lucille have been a better name? Eh, Arella still has an exotic flavor to it. Lucy just makes her sound like a goofy redhead from old black and white sitcoms.

"Although stubborn, your mother's a fine woman dear. She puts up a cold dark façade but inside she's a loving person full of secrets. Speaking of which…

He left the couch and drew closer to the camera.

"If you haven't discovered her little secret already? 'he whispered' She's very, VERY ticklish. Trust me: it comes in real handy when she's feeling exceptionally serious. Ribs are good but the bottoms of her feet are better."

Really? Damn she's going to have to try that next time she visits. He returned to the couch.

"If you're seeing this, you are somewhere in Gotham, dressed in black and I'm guessing with blue hair."

Arella looked herself over…this is getting creepy.

"And chances are, since this was given to you, I wasn't there when you grew up."

She wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

"I'm sorry about that squirt but this business is unpredictable. I've been in it for over fifty years and am still getting tossed curves. In recent memory, meeting your mother and your…um…arrival were the few pleasant ones."

He fell silent and leaned back in the couch.

"I'm making this because you have decided to follow in my footsteps. How did I know you would wind up here? The place just seems like a magnet for our kind. Maybe it's the dark nasty streets or it could be the pizza. Doesn't matter really because by now I'll bet you're wondering just why in the hell you've decided to do this."

He looked contemplative.

"Truthfully? I think our type really has no choice. What else can we be? Insurance salesmen? A nine to five job just wouldn't be appropriate. The other Titans were the same way except Beast Boy or BB as he goes by now. Making kids happy was his niche more than superheroing…as your mother will no doubt agree."

No wonder Ma avoided his movies and merchandise like the plague. And her naming the cat BB wasn't an accident either.

"You, your mother and I are of an unusual lot dear. Unlike Superman and the others, we walk a very fine line between light and dark. It's why the world fears us and why our kind is demonized. During my wandering, I was tarred with the word monster. And you know? After awhile, I believed them. I think it's why I hid myself for so long. It wasn't until your mother appeared and proved to me that dark-hearted people like us could find their place in the world too did my outlook change."

His casual stance turned stern.

"Remember: you only become a monster when you believe it yourself. Now pretending? That's an entirely different matter. The illusion can be a wonderful thing. Look at Batman. Yeah he was just a guy in a costume but the fear he induced in the Gotham underworld was worth its weight in gold. With criminals, its better they fear you than not. Moral of this story: use the illusion but don't let it consume you."

He looked thoughtful.

"That's about all I got. Wish I could have been there to tell you all this first hand but it just wasn't in the cards. God this stinks."

"I'll say." Arella sighed sadly

A second or so passed.

"So, now for the good part. Since you have decided to get in the business, you have learned the hard way that flying aint exactly what its cracked up to be. Fun yes but it can make your personal life a bit complicated. So I have sent ahead something to help you out."

He held out the little envelope.

"Open this and you'll find my contribution to your crime fighting career. Now if your mother asks, just say that you won it in a church raffle."

Will laid the envelope on the table and sighed sadly.

"Well, in conclusion the best words of wisdom I can leave you with are to do the right thing and freak people out but don't be afraid to take in the occasional sunrise. Relationships? You need to figure that one out yourself hon. Heck, I never thought I would find love and well…"

"WILL!" Raven barked from the other room

"Yes hon?"

"Vitamins"

"Oh yeah, sorry I forgot."

"No kidding."

He stood and made to turn off the camera.

"Ill always be with you hon. Honor your legacy and your name…bye."

The screen went blank. At this point she should be bawling but instead Arella felt renewed. All this time she felt like a freak wanting to come here and do this but the truth is, she probably would have ended up here anyway.

She took the smaller envelope and carefully felt it. Something rigid and flat was inside. Arella tore open the end and emptied it out into the palm of her hand. It was a blue plastic keycard with "Wayne Tech Storage" and the number 74 embossed on the front in black.

Arella held the card out to Deuce who gave it a sniff with its moist black nose.

"So what do you think?" Arella asked

It took the card in its mouth and trotted off.

"Hey! Give me that."

That next morning…

After a thorough search of the city directory, the only Wayne Tech Storage listed was an old industrial depot a mile south of the city limits. According to the info provided, it was just a place to store hazardous materials and had been abandoned for years.

It took a half hour by bus to get there. Yeah she could have flown but today she wanted to be Will Erickson's daughter and give this occasion all the honor it was due.

While walking through the depots cracked and overgrown parking lot, she gave the place a quick scan. The only people to have set foot here within the last ten years were some transients, a variety of stray dogs and cats and some old man who drops by now and then to sweep up.

The rusted and weather-beaten Quonset-style warehouse looked like it hadn't been used in decades. A few dusty surveillance cameras posted over the front doors and some sun faded "no trespassing" signs posted on the hurricane fence gates made up the bulk of the depot's security. Did the cameras still work? If she learned anything from Mister Wayne was that looks were almost always deceiving. For all she knew the old man was watching her back in the Batcave.

At first glance the depot's flimsy sliding doors looked entirely unassuming. Mounted on the buildings façade to the left of the doorway was what resembled a small steel fuse box. Arella opened it and found a keycard reader inside. She took the still sticky blue plastic card and carefully slipped it in the slot.

After some thick ominous clunks, the doors arduously ground open. Geez, these doors look to be at least three feet thick! Just as she figured, the place was indeed a vault. Sometimes the best place to hide things is in plain sight. She walked inside.

The vault's ancient fluorescent lights flickered on, illuminating a long and wide corridor leading all the way to the back. Evenly spaced on either side of the corridor were numbered smaller steel doors with corresponding key readers.

She made her way down the corridor. While trudging, her mind boggled on what was hidden in these lockers. Batmobile parts? The Penguin's cryogenically preserved remains? Mister Wayne obviously owned the place; maybe the Batcomputer's database would have a clue?

After about a block deep inside the building, locker 74 appeared. There was nothing special about it; the thing was identical to the hundred others on either side.

To think the last time this thing was open, Arella's father was alive and Ma was pregnant with her. In all respects the place was a time capsule with whatever inside saved solely for her.

Arella slipped the card into the corresponding slot and the door obediently slid open, spewing out a cloud of seventeen year old dust. The space's fluorescent lights inside automatically switched on.

"Frag me." She gasped

Inside the space sat a motorcycle. It looked not too dissimilar to Terry's own crotch rocket except maybe a bit smaller. The fuselage's finish was jet black and polished to mirror shine. A matching black helmet hung on the handlebar.

She excitedly climbed up on the seat. On the front instrument panel was hung an ancient yellow post-it note. On it was written:

"Use it in good health…Cyborg"

Ma had mentioned him many times. He had been the Titans resident technocrat and football enthusiast. Last she heard he was still working for Wayne R and D. Cyborg built this thing himself? Heavens knows what secret goodies he put in this thing.

The second her fanny hit the seat, a panel on the instrument board slid open, revealing a small display screen.

"Identify?" A computerized woman's voice queried

"Arella Erickson?"

"Please hold handlebars for DNA scan."

She gripped the handlebars and they vibrated in her hands.

"DNA scan completed…Erickson relationship confirmed. Arella is now sole user of this unit."

"Shway."

"Repeat command?"

Obviously this thing uses vocal prompts.

"Umm, list commands?"

On the display screen popped up a menu of acceptable vocal commands. Nothing real special here: headlights, GPS, etc. One specific command caught her eye.

"Chameleon?"

The screens menu was replaced by a spinning wheel divided into wedges of different colors. She pressed a lavender wedge at random. The bike and helmet's black finish changed to the same lavender color. Sweet!

"Specifications?"

A list of the bike's specs appeared on the screen. Most of this stuff was way over her head. But from what she could gather, this one of a kind conveyance was indeed built by Cyborg and is appropriately named the: "Booyah 3000". It sports a Promethium frame, engine block and fuselage, Kevlar-composite wheels, satellite uplink and a smorgasbord of onboard stabilizers and sensors. But this thing looked like any average store bought model.

On the bottom of the menu, she noticed one last command.

"Alternate mode?"

With a mechanical hum, the motorcycle began to change. The center of the cycle's fuselage split and stretched forward, revealing a SERIOUSLY souped up engine inside. The tires grew outward, doubling their size and from their treads, rigid scales popped up. Vents slid out the sides and the lavender paint job changed to a non reflective black.

"That's more like it." She chuckled

With the conversion, more entrees appeared on the screen. Good cripes look at this stuff.

"Hover mode?"

A roar of air erupted from the bike and the tires lifted off the floor and tucked inside the fuselage. She strained over and looked underneath. The sucker was hovering a foot off the ground. Man, even Terry's bike can't do this.

"Hover mode off"

The tires returned to the ground and the hissing ceased. That'll really come in handy traversing those nasty Old Town potholes. What next? Hmm…

"EM pulse"

The bike's front half crackled and a wad of blue ball lightening flew out of the headlight, through the spaces open door and impacted with the door across the corridor. Bolts of electricity coursed through the thick steel door and dissipated. That'll make dealing with nasty drivers easier.

"Pursuit mode?"

The handlebars lowered down closer to the fuselage and stabilizing foils popped out of the sides.

"Pursuit mode off."

The handlebars returned upright.

"Speaker"

A beep and her amplified and electronically altered breathing echoed throughout the warehouse.

"_Surrender criminals" _Her now decidedly demonic voice demanded

There were other entrees but it wouldn't be wide to use them in a confined space (the flame thrower for example).

Arella examined the bikes controls. As part of Mister Wayne's intensive training program, she was given a crash course in motorcycle riding. They were actually pretty easy (or "idiot proof" as Ma explained) compared to the models of her parent's day. Not much more than scooters with balls.

She hit the kick starter. Odd, didn't work.

"Helmet?" The computer reminded

"Oh, sorry." She chuckled

She took the black helmet off the handlebar and slipped it on. On the inside of the visor appeared a GPS map of the area and a superimposed speedometer. Geez! This thing can reach two hundred and ten? Best not reveal its optional extras to the public: at least not yet.

"Alternate mode off."

The bike returned to its non- special store bought self with its gay purple finish. This color will never do. Someone might mistake her for a Prince fan.

"Chameleon"

The wheel returned but this time she chose the turquoise.

She pulled up the kickstand with her heel and released the brake. Easing the bike forward, Arella carefully guided it out of the locker and into the corridor. Ahead, far in the distance, the open depot door beckoned.

Arella hit the kick starter and the bike's substantial engine roared into life, making the vaults concrete floor rumble.

"This is gonna be sweet." She smiled while hunkering down and racing the engine

Outside…

"Who the hell left the door open?" Arthur Humphreys, resident janitor sighed dropping his trademark mop and matching slop bucket to the ground

From inside the building, his old ears detected an approaching engine roar. He peeked inside just in time to see a headlight bearing down on him.

"CRAP!" He squealed and dove out of the way.

A turquoise motorcycle erupted from the doorway, burned a doughnut on the asphalt and came to a stop. The driver lifted the helmet's visor, revealing a pair of forest green eyes

An amplified girl's voice issued forth.

"Gimme a booyah" She urged

"Booyah?" The old man questioned.

"Louder"

"Booyah!"

"Scream it"

"BOOYAH!" He cheered

"Damn skippy." She laughed

With a primordial engine roar and screeching of tires, Arella sped off.

"Cool bike. 'Arthur remarked' just like a superhero would use."

That next morning…

Terry pulled his bike into a parking space and killed the engine. A teary and shaken Dana Tan slipped off the back.

"Sorry about that." He chuckled uncomfortably

"Don't apologize to me…apologize to that poor squirrel." She sobbed

"But…"

A sleek turquoise cycle hummed into the space next to them. The driver pulled off her matching helmet and Arella's long brunette hair poured out.

"Arella? 'Dana gasped' Where in the hell did you get that?"

"Church raffle." She smiled

"Well I'm ready to convert." Terry laughed

As the trio disappeared inside the Hamilton High's front doors, a candy apple red hover car pulled into the space next to Arella's bike. The driver noticed his snazzy neighbor.

"Shway ride." Nelson cooed

He looked the bike over. Only another prime hunk of manhood could afford a sweet machine like this. The jock noticed the license plate: ARLLA1. This belongs to that rube? No way in hell does that twip deserve such an elegant thing.

Nelson climbed up on the seat and immediately the machine beeped.

"Unauthorized user: you have five seconds to vacate." The computer warned

"What're you going to do? Call the cops?" He laughed

"Four, three, two…"

Nelson presently became aware of a acrid smell, similar to burning pork. He looked around for the cause. Presently, a chubby, pimply faced boy appeared.

"What'ya want twip?" Nelson growled

"Nothin'. Except to tell you your ass is on fire."

Smoke was billowing from under his butt.

"Crap!" He screamed, jumping off Arella's cycle and running in circles while attempting to pat out his smoldering fanny.

"Hey Nelson. 'A bystander yelled' nice undies!"

The seat of the jock's jeans had been burned away, revealing his red and white heart patterned underwear. To a chorus of giggles Nelson ran off to change his pants.

"Boo-yah" The bike whispered and shut down.


	5. Chapter 5

The Truth is Out There

By Eric H

Gotham, Wayne Tech HQ…

Wayne Industries employees enjoyed many benefits. A generous health plan, 401K, stock options and for a lucky few: the Wayne Industries Summer Soiree. Once a year, selected high-performing employees are treated to a formal dance party. It was a big tradition with Bruce's family since their company's founding.

However, this year's soiree had an ulterior motive besides simple morale boosting. After their last scuffle with the tech-heavy villain Shriek, Mister Wayne found some of his company's more hush-hush products in the criminal's equipment. Obviously something funky was afoot and the traitor had to be weeded out. Since Mister Wayne wasn't physically able to take part in his protégés crime busting activities, the old man was pursuing this with all the obsessive gusto of his glory days…with the help of his empathic intern Arella-Lucille Erickson of course.

As the old man hobbled out of the elevator and through the foyer, she dutifully followed with her trusty note pad and pencil. Sure she could use a Blackberry but those tiny buttons piss her off.

"You reserved the hall." He confirmed

"Yup. Had to bump the Herschel Jaffee Bar Mitzvah to the vestibule though. They weren't exactly pleased about it."

"See to it they are compensated and he receives a gift from us. Something tasteful."

"Gotcha." She obediently acknowledged, making hasty notes on her pad

"And the Caterers?"

"They need to know if you want the Sukiyaki Slam-Bam treatment this time."

"Cold cuts and cheeses. I don't need anyone getting sick again."

"Roger that: nix on the fish sticks."

"Decorations."

"Ice swans and crystal punch bowls…."

"Good."

They stepped out the buildings automatic front doors. His Limousine was parked at the curb and Terry stood ready with the passenger door open.

"So the hula dancer beer dispensers you had at Harold's stag party are out of the question?"

Mister Wayne didn't respond. He disliked jokes when talking business. He carefully ducked inside the car's luxurious back seat.

"And buy yourself something to wear. Put it on the company account."

"Cool…um…yes sir."

Terry closed the door and made to climb in the driver's seat.

"Bringing Dana?" She asked

"Yeah. She's still deciding what to wear."

"Maybe that sky blue number? It looks great on her."

"I suggested it. Wasn't enough" He sighed

"Women."

Terry paused, raising a bewildered eyebrow.

"Um…yeah."

She watched as the limo pulled away from the curb and disappeared into traffic. Sweet! Her first formal dance. Of course they had get-togethers in Smallville too but nothing on this kind of scale. And even better, she had a date.

Arella trotted back inside to make the party arrangements. With a little luck, she should be able to hit the stores before the evening rush.

That evening…

Mister Wayne stood by the front door and was personally welcoming the new arrivals. A huffing and puffing Arella took her place by his side. She double checked her new Turquoise green dress for tags. The skirt was full length and little cleavage is visible so hopefully her snooping would be easier. Crap the chilly breeze under this thing! Why do women do this to themselves?

"You're late." He whispered

"You try to ride a motorcycle in high-heels."

"Scan all the attendants, an emphasis on the techs. Be discreet."

"Roger that."

A slew of bespectacled, shabbily dressed folks made their way through the line. Except for feelings of loneliness and inadequacy she sensed no guilty parties here. But a few glasses of champagne will loosen their minds.

A rented Tuxedoed Terry and his nubile girlfriend Dana in her particularly tasty high cut blue skirt sashayed through the hall's double doors and met Mister Wayne.

"Thank you so much for inviting me. 'She gushed while shaking the old man's hand excitedly' this is so exciting."

"You're welcome Dana. Enjoy yourselves tonight."

"We shall." She said while eagerly leading Terry to the dance floor.

Mister Wayne and Terry's eyes met. He was here on business too. One can never tell when the Dark Knight might be needed. Many competitors would like nothing better to see the old man meet a nasty end and a party like this would be a perfect opportunity.

Once the initial greetings were made, Arella circulated amongst the crowd and scanned. Most were feeling out of place in being in such a posh circumstance. She got the impression the partiers don't get out too much.

She checked her watch. Hmm, her date was running late.

"Hey Arella."

She turned to Dana and Terry.

"Hey you two." The girl returned

Oops, Terry's black clip-on bow tie was askew. Arella stepped forward and carefully straightened it on his collar.

"There you go."

Danas feeling of territoriality once again erupted. Yet this time, her happy expression did not change. If anything it became more pronounced. She left Terry's side and took gentle hold of Arella's arm.

"Umm Terry? Why don't you snag us a good table? We girls gotta powder our noses."

As Terry traipsed of on his mission, Dana led across the crowded ballroom to the facilities. They pushed inside the women's room. Arella checked her make up in the mirror. Hmm, nothing out of place.

"Everything looks…"

Dana smashed her against the bathroom's hard tiled wall and stepped forward until they were nose to nose

"Leave him alone." Dana snarled through clenched teeth.

"Wha-what the hell are you talking about?"

"Terry is MY boyfriend MINE! You'd better leave him alone or…"

Arella chuckled, taking Dana off guard. She should have known this was going to happen. Part of her was even looking forward to it.

"You think I'm interested in Terry? Oh please."

"I see how you hover around him."

"We both work for Mister Wayne. I've got no choice."

She could sense her assurances meant little. Dana wanted to make a life with Terry and felt Arella was putting it jeopardy. And like a mother lion protecting her cubs, was not going down without a fight.

"How can I prove it to you?"

"You'd better find a way."

Ah, just what she wanted to hear. This is gonna be fun.

"Suit yourself."

Arella's thin arms embraced Dana Tan's slender form and their lips met. But this wasn't any ordinary smooch. Arella's eager tongue naked inside Dana's mouth and began batting about hers. At first she struggled against Arella's advance but relaxed and returned the kiss. Was it out of shock or lust? As they frenched, Arella's hands found Dana's taut cheerleader fanny. It was a blessing no one else was using the bathroom otherwise this could have been rather embarrassing.

Her caressing hands released Dana's bottom and the pair parted. Dana, her lipstick now a jumbled mess, looked ready to pass out. As for Arella, this was a realization of dreams. If not in a public place, she would have liked for things to go farther. All those Phys Ed showers were pure murder.

"Convinced?"

"Uh-huh" Dana managed with a shocked whisper

Unblinking and without another word, Dana turned and left the bathroom. The party's pageantry seemed so insignificant now after what just transpired. She had demanded proof and had certainly got it…in spades. It would take years to sort out this cacophony of feelings. Apparently with Arella there was much more than meets the eye.

"Um, Dana?" Terry asked

He was sitting at a nearby table. Dana had walked right on by and hadn't even noticed. She took a seat beside him. Her wide eyes seemed to focus on nothing in particular.

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

A few tables away, Arella had settled into a booth. She noticed Dana watching her and winked.

"Dana?" Terry asked again.

Another girl appeared. It was Jackie from Dana's cheerleading squad. Dana watched as the pair talked. The red head looked to be apologizing for being late but Arella just smiled wider and gestured for the new arrival to take a seat.

"Isn't that Jackie?" Terry whispered

"Uh huh."

Terry and Dana watched as the pair shared a kiss. They had become quite close after what happened to her father. But THIS close? What a revelation!

"You mean Arella's…."

"Gay? Yes."

The couple fell silent as they digested the facts.

"Not that there's anything wrong with it." He added

"No. What they do with their lives is their own business. Now how about some punch?"

Across the room…

Jackie watched Terry and Dana's reaction to their kiss.

"Uh oh."

"Don't worry about it." Arella assured

"You sure?"

"Sure I'm sure. Believe me: Terry is GREAT at keeping secrets."

Later…

Arella walked Jackie up to her front door. The lights were on inside, apparently her stepfather didn't believe her when she assured him she was going out with a "lady friend".

"Bill will kill me if he finds out I rode on the back of a motorcycle." She laughed

In spite of her smiles, Arella could sense her great sadness. She lightly squeezed the girl's shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

Jackie's smile faded and she bowed her head.

"We're moving away."

Tears began to well in Arella's eyes. It so goddamn figures.

"Oh…"

"After what happened to dad, we just can't stay here anymore. Bill is moving his business to Keystone."

"Fresh start" Arella sighed

Jackie hugged her tight.

"The time we shared will always be special to me. You got me though a real tough time and I'll always love you for it."

The porch light switched on and off. She gave Arella a quick peck on the cheek and they parted.

"I'll write you every day." Blade assured her as she opened the door and disappeared inside.

"Sure."

But she knew that was crap. Oh they might try at first but eventually they would drift away.

Arella made her way back down the front walk to her motorcycle.

"Harold Dorsey." She sneered, wiping the tears from her eyes

During her snooping, she found the source of the leaked tech. But his espionage wasn't out of greed but resentment. Apparently he got passed over for a promotion and did it out of revenge. Arella was going to save the news for Mister Wayne during their morning meeting tomorrow. But now she had some serious hostility to deal with and what a better way?

"Open Sesame."

The seat of her motorcycle popped up, revealing a hidden compartment. Inside lay her Nil uniform and Shadow Blade handle.

Arella's skin became a stone gray and her eyes ignited flaming red. She took the length of leather-wrapped pipe and black energies hissed out of the end, forming an oversized clown mallet.

"_**And brother is it ever gonna smart."**_ Jay giggled.

The End


End file.
